In The Dark
by shootingstarsonfire
Summary: Yami sees Yugi and thinks its love at first sight. But winning the shy boy's heart wont be easy when his overprotective friends wont let the two anywhere near each other. And when Yugi's abusive ex comes into the picture, things go from bad to worse.
1. A Date?

**Hello peoples! Welcome to my first attempt at a yaoi fic!**

**Sage: Get ready for it to suck.**

**T.T Why don't you ever believe in me?**

**Sage: Because you are you.**

…**Good point. So, this is my first yaoi story. I apologize if it sucks, but I'm learning! I hope you will enjoy this story, because I'm super excited to write this!**

**Rated M For: Vulgarity, angst, violence, sadism. **

**I do not own Yugioh. **

-0-0-0-0-0-

Yugi awoke to the sound of a monotonous beeping. His eyes opened slowly, and he felt extremely lightheaded. He reached out and felt crisp, clean sheets covering him. He opened his eyes some more, but was blinded by the sunlight entering the room. He had to shut his eyes back closed and let out a small groan.

"Yugi?" A voice came. It sounded worried and tired. It also sounded like the person had been crying. This piqued Yugi's interest. He had a slight idea of who the voice might belong too—as best he could think, at least. All he wanted to do was sleep. But, the person who was speaking, if he was who Yugi thought he was, shouldn't be crying. Yugi never saw him cry. Yugi didn't he think he should be crying. He wasn't worth crying over.

He felt a cold hand touching his forehead, pushing his bangs being his ear. "Yugi?" He repeated. "Are you alright?"

Yugi's mouth felt like it was full of cotton. His throat was so parched. "J-Joey?" He managed to let out. His voice was hoarse.

"Yeah, it's me, Yuge."

"Joey…" Yugi moaned, opening his eyes slightly, so he could barely see his blonde friend. "Wha-what happened?"

"Do you not remember?"

"I…I…" Yugi thought for a moment as he let the last memory come to him. "He was so angry." Tears began to leak out of his eyes. "I told him I was leaving, but he didn't like that. He started to hit me. He called me these awful names, Joey. He pushed me to the floor and…." Yugi paused for a moment, trying to recover the rest of the memory. He did his best, but he couldn't remember what happened after he was pushed to the floor. He could visualize the angry glare of his attacker, he could remember how it felt when his head collided with the tiled floor, but everything after that was a complete blur. It was like someone had turned out the lights inside his mind. He couldn't see anything. "I don't remember." More tears flooded out of his eyes. Yugi looked up at Joey desperately. "I can't remember, Joey."

"It's okay Yugi. It'll be okay. You're in the hospital. You're safe." Joey did his best to comfort his best friend. It tore at his heart to see his best friend lying in a hospital bed, helpless. He was beyond sad because of Yugi's situation. He had no idea how to express his grief. The doctors had told him Yugi was going to die. It hurt Joey so much to hear those words, he began to cry. He hadn't cried since the day his mother left him and took Serenity with her. But Joey was also angry because every time he looked at his friend, he was reminded of why he was in this situation in the first place.

But Joey had to mask his anger for Yugi's sake. Yugi had just woken up from an excruitating injury. He didn't need any extra stress by feeling Joey's anger. Joey could see that Yugi was incredibly tired and lethargic. "Go to sleep Yugi; I'll explain more later."

Yugi didn't say anything but Joey could see his eyelids falling down. Within a few moments, his breathing was steady and regular and he was in a dreamless sleep.

And as Joey looked down on his injured friend that afternoon, he made a solid vow.

'Jack.' He thought, grimacing at just the thought of the man who landed his best friend in the hospital, 'wherever you are, you better stay there. Because if I ever see you again, I _will_ make you pay for all that you've done to Yugi.'

"And that's a promise." Joey growled quietly, gripping the side railing of Yugi's bed.

-One Year Later-

Yami Sennen walked down the sidewalk from a long day of work. He hated having to work for his cousin. Seto was an ego-manic with a stick up his ass the size of a golf club. But, even though he wasn't very fond his cousin, his work had decent hours and a great pay, so he couldn't complain that much. The only thing he could complain about right now would be his empty stomach. It growled and Yami gripped it, trying to shush it.

Seto had made him work through his lunch break. So, in other words, Seto made him miss lunch. Yami's type of work wasn't one where he could stop at any point to take a break; he worked as the vice president of his cousin's company. While Seto dealt with the bills, stocks, and new Duel Disks designs, Yami was left with the excess of running a company. He had to deal with customer complaints (much to his disdain), managing the sales of the Duel Disks, and having to arrange meetings with new sponsors. Currently, Seto was busy organizing a new Duel Monsters Tournament and Yami had been given the task of finding a place of busy willing to rent out their building for their week in order for a bunch of geeks and nerds to assemble and play a children's card game.

Understandingly, he was having a hard time finding a willing partner.

His stomach pains intensifying, Yami decided to find a place to eat some dinner. He hadn't been paying much attention to where he was walking, and now found himself right on the edge of the Red Light Zone in Domino. It was what people referred to the ghetto area of Domino. Yami looked up to the sky and saw the top windows of all the different apartment complexes. Their brown paint was peeling and the sky was just different than in the other parts of Domino. It was hard to explain. It just looked…sick.

"I shouldn't be here." Yami mumbled, feeling unsafe. He heard about all the shootings and shankings that happened in the Red Light Zone. With him being in his business suit, Yami felt like he was the perfect victim for a mugging.

But, right as he was about to turn around and leave, Yami's stomach growled again. He sighed and looked to his right, which was a small restaurant going by the name of "Mazaki's". It had a red neon sign displaying the name and it appeared fairly busy for the evening hour.

"Well," Yami whispered to himself, "I suppose it's better than nothing." He put his hand on the door and pushed it open. The restaurant had a light, airy feel and some smooth jazz music was playing over the speakers.

"Good evening, sir." A blonde hostess said, reaching for a menu. "Table for one?"

"Uh, yes." Yami mumbled as he began to follow her. She walked with confidence, her high heels clapping against the tile floor. She led Yami to a small booth and placed down his menu and utensils.

"Your waiter will be here shortly. Until then, if there's anything you need, call for me!"

"Thank you." Yami said as he slid into the booth. So far, the restaurant didn't seem so bad. At least the staff, so far, seemed nice.

Yami opened his menu and scanned the various different options. He read over all the different combinations of burgers, salads, and grilled chicken.

"Excuse me?" Came a soft voice.

Yami looked up from his menu and his jaw nearly dropped. Before him at the end of his table was a boy who looked almost identical to himself. The boy had the same star-shaped hair. With all the same colors too. His blonde bangs were hanging in his face, but Yami could still see his eyes. They were the most beautiful pairs of eyes he had ever seen. They were a deep violet color. But, they seemed dull and quiet. Still, the boy was attractive. Yami couldn't deny that.

"My name is Yugi." The boy said softly. "I'll be your waiter this evening. Can I start you off with something to drink?"

"I'd just like a water to drink." Yami said, unable to take his eyes off the boy. He watched as Yugi scribbled something down onto a white notepad.

"And…" Yugi paused, his eyes casting off into the distance. Almost instantly, he snapped his eyes shut and shook his head. Yami wondered why he did that. "Are-are you ready to order?" He asked hastily.

"I think I am." Yami said, turning his attention back to his menu. "I'll just have a hamburger, no pickles, with a side of the French fries."

Yugi wrote down the entrée and he began to back away. "Okay then, sir. I'll have that to you as soon as its ready."

Yami opened his mouth to thank the boy, but he noticed something that made him stop. Yugi had a pink scar, running from the middle of his forehead, down to over his right eyelid, and then at the corner of his eye. It wasn't a large scar, but it stood out against his pale skin and Yami couldn't help but wonder how he had gotten it. It looked painful.

Yugi turned around and began to walk away, his head hanging down. Yami watched him leave, feeling his heart rate increasing. He tried to take his mind off the waiter and instead focus on the work he would have to do for his cousin, but the image of Yugi kept coming into his mind. Yami found himself waiting in anticipation for the return of his waiter. He felt like a child on Christmas Eve.

Yami felt sweat begin to form at his brow as the image of his waiter kept creeping into his mind. Yami began to imagine what the boy would like if he were smiling and instead of his beautiful eyes looking dull and worn over, they were bright and cheerful. Yami thought Yugi was attractive when he had his head down, avoiding the World. But imagining him happy and cheerful only made him more beautiful.

Yami bit his lip. Where was Yugi with his food? It seemed like an eternity since the boy took his order.

After what was probably only ten minutes, Yugi returned with a porcelain plate on his forearm.

"Here you are." He said quietly, placing the food in front of Yami. "If you need anything, please, tell me."

"Actually," Yami said, "there is one thing." Yami felt his throat grow dry. He'd been rehearsing this in his head since he laid eyes on the teen. He could only hope that Yugi would react the way that Yami rehearsed in his head, even if they were complete strangers.

"What is it?"

"I'd like you to go on a date with me." Yami's face flushed red and the words spilled over his tongue. They came out hastily and for a moment Yami wondered if the teen even understood him.

Yami watched as the boy's face became even paler. His pupils widened and his breathing began to increase. It looked like he had seen a ghost.

Yami instantly felt regret. He had moved too far too fast. He didn't even know if this kid was gay. In fact, all he knew about the kid was his name: Yugi. Yugi, on the other hand, knew nothing about him. Yugi didn't even know his name.

The boy began to shake his head rapidly. "I-I" He stuttered. "I'm sorry sir, but, I can't. It would be unprofessional of me."

Yami felt the pain of rejection, but even though he felt bad about rushing it, he desperately wanted just one date with Yugi. He couldn't explain it, but it felt to him like love at first sight. "It doesn't have to be anything special. In fact, we can just sit here and talk."

"I-" Yugi was still shaking his head, "I can't. I'm on the clock until ten and—"

"How about another time then?" Yami pressed on, pursuing his lips. He hadn't asked for many things in life, but one thing he was going to ask for what this one date. At this point, Yami was practically begging for just this one date, with this one strange boy he'd barely exchanged ten words with.

"Sir, please—" Yugi said, growing frustrated. Yami could see how uncomfortable the teen was becoming with this conversation, but something in Yami kept telling him to press on. Something in Yami was telling him that they were meant to be together.

"Please." Yami said sternly. "Just one date?"

Yugi sighed in defeat and started to rub his face. "I get off tomorrow at six." He conceded.

"Perfect." Yami said, smiling. "I'll meet you here then."

"It's…" He paused, casting his eyes downward. "A date." He gave Yami a small smile and his eyes lit up like a Christmas tree. He looked just as beautiful as Yami imagined he would. Maybe even more so.

Then, he turned around and left to go bring food to his other tables.

-0-0-0-0-0-

** I hope you liked it! What do you think? Enjoyed it? Hated it? Wish to see it burn in Internet Hell? Please tell me!**

** Also, I like to give thanks to one of my good friends, ll Kairi ll, for being my beta on this story. I really appreciated your help! **

** So, that's it for now. Good bye! **


	2. Stood Up

**Sage: Why so sad, DarkHeart?**

**Well…you see…I got 9 reviews last chapter, which is a record for me, but I had about 20 people story alert this that didn't review. I just wish that one of those twenty people would've taken the two minutes out of their day to tell me what they liked about my story. **

**Sage: Hmmm? Did you say something?**

…**.Never mind. **

-0-0-0-0-0-

_-Two Years Ago—_

Yugi Motou was working his job at the small diner that belonged to the father of one of his friends. His face was flushed from working all day and beads of sweat were forming at his brow. He wiped his face with his sleeve and continued his work, scrubbing down the table he had been waiting earlier that day.

The people had been total slobs. They left crumbs all over the seats and floor, and had managed to get the table covered in a thick layer of ketchup and mustard. Yugi had worked hard to please them, but they always disapproved.

He either had taken too long to bring them their food, or he had put their food down in the wrong order, I asked for a re-fill five minutes ago, where is it?

Yugi sighed as he stopped his scrubbing movements and rubbed his arm. Some people just couldn't be pleased. Yugi worked his hardest and in the end all he could walk away with was a lousy two dollar tip. He threw the dirty towel over his shoulder and made his way over to the register.

The clock-out counter was positioned by the computer and Yugi's shift ended over twenty minutes ago. His friend and manager of the restaurant, Anzu, had been empathetic towards Yugi's position, but explained that the table still needed to be cleaned before he left.

Yugi held no ill feelings for Anzu. He understood her position in the battle. If the diner was in a messy state, it would reflect badly on her, which in turn would reflect badly on her father, owner of the establishment. He grabbed his card and punched out, throwing the dirty towel into a small bucket to his right.

As Yugi was about to exit the store, a blonde man stood up from his table and walked over to Yugi. He stepped in front of the shorter boy and looked down on him. Yugi froze as he stared into the icy green eyes of the taller man.

"Hey kid." He said, looking down at Yugi. For a moment the shorter boy was sure the man was staring straight into his soul. "I saw how those punks earlier were treating you. I just wanted to say I'm impressed with how you handled the situation. If I were you, I would've just left them."

"Yeah well," Yugi muttered, looking down. He was not enjoying this, even though the man appeared to be nice. "I need this job and I don't think my boss would appreciate ignoring customers."

"You seem to be very mature for your age."

Yugi was silent.

"There's another reason I wanted to talk to you."

"There is?"

"I'm wondering if you would be interested in hanging out with me sometimes."

"You mean…like a date?"

"If you want to call it that."

Yugi was stunned. He'd never been on a date before, never. He knew he was gay from the time he was twelve, but he had still been two shy to confide that with anyone, other than his two friends. He didn't even tell his grandfather. He always dreamed of what it might be like to go on one. Yugi felt his heart fly up inside his chest and he felt light as a feather.

"I'd like that." He said shly.

"Perfect." The man said. "My name is Jack. I can't wait to get to know you."

_-Present Day—_

Joey Wheeler stumbled into his dark apartment at ten o clock. He flicked on the lights in the living room and the overhead lamp came on, the bulb making a loud buzzing noise. Joey coughed as he entered his dust filled apartment. The first thing he did was walk over to the hallway were there were three doors, each filling a part in a triangle like shape. One door was to his bedroom, one door was to the bathroom, and the third—

He knocked on the wooden door.

"Joey?" came the soft reply.

"Yeah, Yugi." Joey said tiredly. "I just wanted to let you know that I'm home. I'll be staying up for a little bit, but I'll probably go to bed within the hour."

"Okay." Yugi's voice came.

Joey walked back over to the living room where he fell onto the puke-green couch. He fished for the remote between the couch cushions, finding it at the very bottom. Joey clicked the power button and the old TV began to whine as it came on.

A pixelated news anchor came onto the screen, staring at the camera in front of him, to make it look like he was staring right at the viewer. He began to list off all of the stories he would be covering within the hour, from a murder on tenth street, to the bank robbery on eighth.

But Joey wasn't really paying attention. Instead, his mind was focused onto his best friend, and roommate. He and Yugi had been living together in this crappy apartment for about a year now. Joey demanded that the smaller boy moved in with him after the "Incident" that landed him in the hospital for several days.

Joey mentally shuddered at the memory of seeing Yugi in the hospital bed. He had been pale, and if not for the steady beeping of the heart monitor, Joey would've sworn his younger friend was dead.

Joey wouldn't admit it, but he was still scared for Yugi. After the "Incident" he had been scared to death that something awful would happen to his small friend. He always made sure to keep an eye on Yugi.

It was taboo to talk about the "Incident", so Joey kept his fears to himself. All he would do was each morning, as they each headed off to their work, was tell Yugi to be careful. And Yugi would always reply that he would.

Of course, it wasn't Yugi Joey was fearful of. He trusted Yugi with all his heart. No, instead what Joey was fearful of was everyone else. People always tried to take advantage of his smaller friend. It could be anything from teasing him to pick-pocketing. Sometimes, things could be more violent.

They had been more violent.

Joey shook his head and pushed all those negative thoughts out of his head. They wouldn't do him any good now. He knew that Yugi was safe inside the apartment. He was just on the other side of the wall, most likely asleep in his bed.

Thinking of sleeping, Joey's eyelids became heavy and he stood up, turning off the TV before throwing the remote down onto the couch. He switched off the light before exiting the living room and making way to his own bed.

Without bothering to change out of his clothes, the blonde fell face first onto his lumpy bed, where he fell into a light, uncomfortable sleep.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Yugi was sitting at the small table the next morning, mindlessly chewing on cereal. Joey came in in his uncomfortable outfit. He worked as a bellhop for an old hotel just down the road. The pay could barely cover the bills and he had to wear a green monkey suit, with the gold buttons and ridiculous hat.

"'Morning, Yugi." He said tiredly, reaching for the box of cereal.

"Hey Joey."

Joey poured a handful of cereal into his hand and picked at it, eating it dry. "Is anything going on today?"

Yugi shook his head, taking a bite of food. "No…just work."

Joey looked at his friend sympathetically. "And…everything's been alright? You haven't had any problems with…" Joey motioned at his temple, conveying a secret message.

Yugi nodded shakily. "I…don't...think so."

"Well," Joey sighed. "If you have any problems, let me know, okay?"

Yugi nodded, finishing up the rest of his meager breakfast. He stood up and went to the sink, where he washed out the plastic bowl. He dried it with paper towels and placed it on the foam dish mat. He and Joey often had to re-use disposable items, like spoons, forks, cups, and bowls. Even with both their jobs, the two had trouble meeting the rent, and even buying a small luxury such as a set of utensils and platters.

He turned and faced Joey who was finishing up the last of his breakfast. He dusted off his hands and stuck them inside his pockets. He gave Yugi a small smile. "One day, Yuge." He sighed. "I promise you. It's only a matter of time before we save up enough money to move out of this crap-hole."

"Yeah." Yugi said quietly, his eyes wandering their small apartment.

Joey frowned, suspecting something else was wrong with Yugi. "Is everything okay, Yugi?"

Yugi shook his head, casting his eyes downward. "I…I don't know. I feel like I'm forgetting something…but I have no idea what it might be."

"Should we call Anzu? Can you work?"

"I'll be fine." Yugi muttered. "I have my cellphone. I'll call you if things get worse."

"Alright then." Joey mumbled, heading for the door. "I need to get to work, but I should be back at around nine tonight, okay?"

"Okay."

"Remember, if things get worse, call me, or tell Anzu. I'll come and get you as soon as I can."

"I'll be fine, Joey." Yugi said, feeling tears sting his eyes.

Joey didn't see them, so he waved good bye to Yugi and exited. Yugi sniffed and stumbled over to the couch. He lay down and pulled his knees to his chest where he let the tears fall down his face silently.

He was such a nuisance to Joey. He knew that. Ever since the "incident" he's needed Joey to look after him, like a mother bear looks after her cub. Joey's had to leave work many times before to come and save Yugi from some danger within the past year they had been living together.

Joey was on the verge on losing his job. Yugi could just sense it. If Joey had to leave work early one more time to come save him, his boss was going to let him go. Yugi let out a small whimper. He was a liability not only to Joey, but to Anzu as well.

She had been kind enough to let him keep his job after the "incident", even when the customers complained of how slow he was bringing orders, or how he often asked customers to repeat something. The complaint jar that was kept at the front counter was full of nasty notes, demanding that the "idiot waiter" get canned.

It used to be part of Yugi's job to go through the complaint jar. Now, Anzu wouldn't let him near it. He understood that she was just trying to protect his feelings, but he hated being treated like a child. He hated needing the constant help of his friends. He hated having to depend on Joey for almost everything.

Blowing his yellow bangs out his face, Yugi sat up. He had to get to work. He knew what he would do after his shift was over, of course. But it would have to wait.

He was going to relieve the burden that was himself, from Joey and from Anzu. He could take off a lot of the stress the two went through during their everyday lives. He should've listened to Jack and done the deed years ago.

Now, his fantasy could become a reality.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Yami sat anxiously at his desk at work, eagerly awaiting his date with Yugi that evening. His eyes were constantly dancing between the plain environment of his desk, to the dull analog clock hanging on the wall. Currently, he was playing phone tag with a possibly sponsor for Seto's tournament. It was a hotel right on the edge of the outer city, close to the diner where he met Yugi last night, actually. The manager seemed to be very excited about the tournament.

However, it would involve canceling reservations on his part. Yami doubted any guests who had book their honeymoon at this hotel would want to deal with all the videogame nerds. It seemed like he and the manager had agreed on the location, it was only the date they needed to debate.

While he waited for the important call, he tried to keep his mind off his date by going through all the Duel Disks sales. The sales at the one electronic store in Domino were doing well. They had an average monthly profit of 18%. However, the other stores, the ones outside of Domino, weren't doing as well. In fact, Duel Monsters seemed to be losing its popularity everywhere besides the city he was currently in. Even sales in the United States had dropped.

Suddenly, his phone began to ring, causing Yami to jump out of his seat. His hand reached straight for the phone and he nearly pulled it out of the phone jack.

"Hello?" He said, hoping to hear to hear from the manager of the hotel.

"Yami." Came the dry reply.

_Crap. _Yami thought, clenching his eyes shut.

"Yes, Seto?"

"I need you to leave."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean leave!" Seto snapped. Yami flinched and pulled the phone away from his ear slightly. "Take your crap and go on a vacation!"

"Why the sudden—"

"Just can it, Sennen." Seto interrupted. "You've collected twenty vacation days over the past two years and haven't used any of them. I need you to use them before the ethics department gets on my ass and fines me."

Yami sighed and rolled his eyes. He held his head with one hand and leaned his elbow against his desk. "Why does the ethics department care about my vacation days?"

"They'll claim I overwork my employees, and if it gets out that you're my younger cousin, a court won't be too keen to turn a blind eye."

"I don't want to go on a vacation." Yami argued. He didn't have anything he could do on a vacation. His life seemed to revolve around work and sleep.

"I don't give a damn want you want! Now, you can leave for vacation now, a paid one, I might add, or I can put you on academic probation where you won't get anything."

"Seto, I—"

"We're done with this conversation. I want you out of this building within the next ten minutes. Good bye."

Yami listened to the dull dial tone, letting him know that Seto had hung up. Sighing, Yami placed the phone back into the receiver and stood up. He was going to question about who would handle the tournament, but figured that his know-it-all cousin already had that figured out.

He stood up and left his office.

"Well," he said to himself quietly, "it looks like I have a date to get ready for."

-0-0-0-0-0-

Yami stood outside the Mazaki diner at precisely six o clock, waiting eagerly for his date. He was wearing only a dark sweater with khaki pants, but he didn't want to appear too formal. After all, he and Yugi hadn't even discussed what they would be doing that evening. He also figured that if he dressed too formal he might make things awkward, considering Yugi would be coming in his work clothes.

Every time a customer would exit to diner, Yami would stand up a little straighter, holding his breath, hoping for Yugi. After he was waiting for some time, Yami felt nervous. He looked down at the watch on his wrist. It read 6:15.

It wasn't that late, but Yami still felt the time a little off-putting. Still, he waited.

And waited.

And waited.

When his watch read 6:45, Yami got fed up. He entered the diner, determined to find his date for the night. There was the same blonde hostess from the previous night, waiting at the counter. Her head shot up when he entered and she smiled.

"Hey there. Liked our food that much?"

"Actually," Yami said as he walked to the counter, "I have a date with one of the waiters."

"Oh." She said, intrigued.

"Yeah. We were supposed to meet nearly an hour ago. Did he have to do overtime?"

"I can check to board for you. What's the lucky guy's name?" She asked.

"Yugi….I don't know his last name."

"Let me see…" She turned around and looked at the clock-out board. Yami watched as her fingers tipped each card just enough to see the name. She ran them down several, and then stopped at one. "Hmm." She said. "That's odd."

"What?"

"Yugi clocked out at 5:30. Anzu let him go home early."

"Oh." Yami said, feeling his heart sink into his stomach.

"I'm sorry, honey." The hostess said sympathetically.

"It's fine." Yami said dully. "Thank you for your time."

Yami didn't give the hostess time to respond. He left the building, fighting back angry tears. He couldn't believe he got stood up! Yugi looked so nice and sweet. Yami couldn't believe Yugi was someone to do something like that.

He became angry at Yugi. He wanted to find the boy just to scream at him and shake him. Yami couldn't get him out of his mind all day. He had been looking forward to getting to know his waiter since they locked eyes last night. And for the little bastard to just stand him up!

Yami thought he might have actually loved Yugi, even though he knew nothing of the boy. He was never one to believe in love at first sight, but now that he was experiencing it for himself, nothing seemed impossible.

Yami stumbled to his car and slammed the door angrily. He didn't even have any notion of returning home. Instead, he turned on the ignition and pressed the gas, driving his car into the ghetto of Domino. His shiny red Lexus stood out against the other cars parked on the side of the road, but Yami didn't care. He was upset and angry. He needed to do something to get his mind off the little jackass.

The windows were rolled down and Yami could hear everything from the street. He could hear the women talking about their cheating husbands, the boys talking about getting stoned and banging a chick, and then he heard something that made him slam on his breaks.

"—This knife will look very pretty in that skinny little neck of yousr, Yugi." Yami stopped his car instantly. He heard the name Yugi. His head turned and his mouth fell open at the sight he saw.

There was Yugi. The very Yugi that was supposed to go on a date with him just an hour ago. The small boy was leaning against a brick wall. A larger man was standing in front of him, pushing Yugi into the wall. Yami saw a flash of metal pressed against the boy's neck. He put the car in park and grabbed the keys, pocketing them before running over to the boy.

"Whassa matter, Motou?" The bigger man said, licking his lips. "Scared?"

"P-please, Ushio." Yugi stuttered. "Just get it over with."

Ushio's large black eyes stared at the smaller boy with a bit of a bored expression. He imagined killing someone would be more…entertaining. "If you say so."

"Stop!" Yami cried, shoving the man, Ushio, away from Yugi. Everything seemed to go in slow motion. As the larger man fell to the ground, he turned to Yugi and grabbed his wrist. He saw a flash of fear in the boy's violet eyes, but he ignored it. While Ushio tried to get up off the ground, Yami pulled the boy by his wrist and dragged him to his car.

"What are you doing?" Yugi cried.

"Saving your life!" Yami screamed, practically throwing the younger boy into the passenger seat of his car.

The taller man was on his feet now, blood flowing from a scrap on his cheek. Yami expected him to be mad, but instead he chuckled. "Looks like it'll have to wait for another time, Motou." Then, he turned and exited the alley, still chuckling.

Yami, furious, got into the driver's seat. "What the hell were you thinking?" He screamed at Yugi. He could see many emotions in the younger boy's eyes: fear, anger, despair. But he didn't care. He wanted to know why the hell the kid almost got killed, and why he got stood up, and if the two had anything to do with each other.

"Why did you do that?" Yugi cried, angry tears falling down his face.

"Do what? Save your life?"

"Yes!" Yugi screamed.

Yami felt his heart drop. Yugi wanted to die? His eyes went up to Ushio who was walking away, the blade of his knife reflected in the moonlight. Suicide by assassination. That was what Yugi was trying to accomplish?

Yugi shook his head and his hand went for the door handle. "Forget it. I need to get home."

"Wait." Yami said, putting a hand on Yugi's shoulder. The small boy flinched at the touch. "Why did you do it?"

"Do what?" Yugi said tiredly.

"Stand me up."

Yugi turned around and looked at Yami, a look of confusion in his eyes. "What are you talking about?"

"We had a date scheduled tonight. You stood me up."

Yugi scoffed and rolled his eyes. "You must have me confused with someone else. There's no way I had a date with you tonight."

"And why do you say that?"

"Because, I've never seen you before in my life."

-0-0-0-0-0-

**Please review? **


	3. Confrontations

**Since a lot of people asked this question last time, I'll answer it here. This story will have some similarities to the movie 50 First Dates, but otherwise it will be totally different. I like to think I can write a better story than Adam Sandler!**

**Sage: Oh, you did not just diss the Sandler! He'll kill you.**

…**My God, you're right. I'm sorry Adam! Don't sue! I'm just a single, broke, 16 year old who has nothing better to do with her life! **

**Sage: Well….thank God for the anonymity of the Internet. Otherwise that statement would just be sad...Oh yeah. And you could get sued.  
><strong>

-0-0-0-0-0-

_-One Year, Eleven Months Ago—_

"Happy one month anniversary!" Yugi said happily as he handed the small package to his boyfriend, Jack. The blonde man took it in his hands, smiling. The two were sitting on the living room floor of Jack's apartment. It was lavish, something fancier than Yugi had ever experienced. The carpet was thick and plush. It felt soft under Yugi's knees. He could sit there forever and never get uncomfortable.

Behind them was Jack's leather loveseat, a place where the two had spent many movie nights cuddled up together. In the center of the room was a glass coffee table. To Yugi, Jack's apartment was like a mansion. He knew he would have to leave eventually, but he didn't want too. Jack's apartment felt like home.

"Oh, baby," Jack said as he cradled the package like a small infant, "you didn't have to get me anything."

"But I wanted too!" Yugi pleaded. He wanted desperately to see the look on Jack's face when he opened it. Yugi hoped his boyfriend would like it. It had cost him a few days salary, working a minimum wage job, for nearly 12 hours a day.

"Yugi, I'm serious."

"And so am I." Yugi said, looking into the unsure eyes of Jack. Yugi scoffed playfully and rolled his eyes. "Just open it."

"Well, then." Jack said, "if it means that much to you." The older man tore off the blue wrapping paper of his small object. He couldn't help but let out a small gasp of surprise when he saw the gift his boyfriend had given him. It was a small watch, with a silver band and small pieces of gold along the clock. The face of the clock was black and the numbers were etched in with gold paint. It was beautiful, he couldn't deny that.

"A Sterling Silver watch?" Jack said softly, admiring the gift. He looked up at Yugi, whose violet eyes were bright and shinning. "Baby, this must have cost you a fortune!"

"It's nothing." Yugi said shyly. "I wanted to get you something special."

Jack smiled as he pushed the watch aside and scooted closer to Yugi. He took the smaller boy's hands in his own and they stared into each other's eyes.

"I want to give you something special too." Jack said, caressing Yugi's face with his hand. "Yugi, I don't care if it seems like we're moving too fast. I don't care what the neighbors will say, or what my own friends will say. I love you, Yugi. This month has been the best of my life, that's something I can say for sure. I love you and I want to test out our relationship and see if maybe we are meant to be together. Yugi, I want you to move in with me."

Yugi was silent for a moment as he absorbed everything in. Jack really wanted them to move in together? Yugi smiled as wide as he could. This was better than anything he could imagine. Moving in with Jack was probably the best thing he could ever do, especially since with his current home situation…or lack thereof. Yugi loved Jack with all his heart. Yugi was sure that Jack was his soul mate, that they were meant to be together. He had no doubt about that, and he was sure that once they moved in together, Jack would have no doubts either.

"I'd love that." Yugi said lovingly. "I really, really, love that."

Jack smiled and the two embraced in a hug and exchanged a small kiss. "Welcome home, Yugi."

_-Present Day-_

Yami drove his car, following the directions Yugi quietly gave him to his house. The shorter boy stared dully out the window, not instigating conversation, only replying to Yami's questions.

Yami had trouble keeping his eyes on the road and off the small, amnesiac, suicidal teenager. He couldn't imagine why the kid would be so depressed as to ask someone to kill him. And he couldn't fathom why his memory was so off.

"I ate at your restaurant yesterday." Yami said, eyeing Yugi from the corner of his maroon orbs. "You were my waiter."

Yugi shook his head, avoiding Yugi's gaze. "I'm sorry." He muttered. "But, I just don't remember."

"Why don't you remember?" Yami questioned, squinting his eyes as he drove down a brightly lit street. "Did you hit your head sometime between yesterday night and this afternoon?"

"No."

"Then how could you forget? I mean, a date isn't something that just slips the mind."

"I have an idea, but it's not something I'm willing to share. Especially with a stranger." Yugi's voice cracked, as though he were starting to cry.

Yami bit his lip and glanced over at Yugi for a moment. The smaller boy was sitting straight now, staring out the windshield. The pink scar on his eye was clearly visible to Yami, and the older boy couldn't help but be curious as to how he acquired it. He couldn't imagine anyway that he could have gotten it in an accident. It looked like something that had been given to him.

"I guess I should introduce myself." Yami said sheepishly, suddenly feeling like a pedophile. How old was this kid? Yami couldn't guess by looking at him, but he couldn't have been any older than eighteen. He was defiantly still a teenager. And Yami was twenty-one. "My name's Yami."

"You already know my name."

"It's Yugi, right?"

Yugi nodded, but said nothing. Yami sighed as he took the turn Yugi told him about earlier. Before him was an old apartment complex. It was made up of red brick and was about ten stories high. Yami noticed the old, rusted fire escapes that hung loosely off the walls. They looked as though they were about to fall off their hinges. Another thing Yami noticed was the windows of the place. Many were cracked, shattered, or overall missing. Some people had duct tapped their windows shut.

Somewhere in the distance, sirens began to wail and car alarms were screaming. Yami could see the flashing red lights of a police car in the distance. Shocked and appalled, he looked down at Yugi who appeared unfazed by all the commotion.

'He lives here?' Yami thought, feeling his throat begin to burn. 'This place can't be safe.'

"Thanks for bringing me home." Yugi whispered, reaching for the door handle.

"Wait." Yami said before he realized what he was doing. Yugi's hand hovered above the handle and the violet eyes matched the ruby eyes. "Maybe I should I walk you up. Just to make sure you get there safely."

Yugi sniffed. "I can take of myself." He said, his voice raising a few octaves.

"After what I saw a few minutes earlier, I doubt that."

Yugi was silent and Yami thought he saw tears forming in the young one's eyes. But, the teen fought them hard and they never slipped out. "Look," Yugi growled impatiently, almost pleadingly, "what you saw…it's none of your business. Why I tried is none of your business either. And it has nothing to do with my ability to walk a few flights of stairs to get to my apartment."

"Please?" Yami said, finding his voice quiver. 'Why?' He thought. He couldn't help but feel an attraction to the boy, and he wanted to make sure he was safe. It didn't matter that the younger one didn't want anything to do with him. Yami would still make it his business to see to it that Yugi arrived home safely. "I'm not letting you out of the car until you agree."

Yugi raised an eyebrow. "So you're going to kidnap me?"

Yami's hand reached out and he pressed the buttons on the door. A loud click was heard, indicating that the locks had been secured. For a moment, it looked like Yugi flinched. "If you want to call it that, then yes. I'm kidnapping you."

For some reason, the thought of Yugi being locked in his car with no way to escape only made Yami want him more.

Yugi stared him down and Yami felt himself somewhat imitated by the glare. Yami stared into Yugi's unblinking, unwavering eyes for about a moment, neither one saying anything. But, he could also see fear in them. And Yugi's breathing seemed to grow ragged. His shoulders were rising and falling. It looked like he was near a panic attack. Finally, after what seemed like eternity to Yami, Yugi spoke.

"Fine. But let me warn you, you have my roommate to deal with. He's not too keen on me hanging around with strangers."

-0-0-0-0-0-

Joey paced the living room of his small apartment quietly, waiting anxiously for the door to open. His eyes glanced to the small digital clock on the coffee table. It read in dull green colors: 8: 33.

Joey bit his lip so hard he felt a small drop of blood fall down his chin. Yugi was supposed to get home nearly an hour ago. It wasn't like Yugi to just wander around the city—especially this part of the city—alone at night. Fearing the worst, Joey debated whether or not he should call the police. Yugi was still a minor after all. Joey could file a missing person's report without having to wait the twenty-four hours.

Joey began to wonder if Yugi got lost again. Ever since the "incident" Yugi's memory had often failed him. Many times Yugi would forget where he lived and he would use his small cellphone to call Joey, crying that he needed to be picked up.

It happened a few times before. Joey wondered if it had happened again. But if it did, Yugi would call him. Yugi always called whenever he needed him.

The blonde teenager couldn't help but wonder if something happened to Yugi. Joey thought the worst. He couldn't help but imagine images of Yugi being mugged and slain. The image of Yugi lying lifeless on cold concrete with blood pouring out of his head-

Joey went for his cellphone. He flipped it open and was about to dial the number when a small knock came from his door. Joey tensed. That had to be Yugi. It couldn't be anyone else. He didn't converse with any of the neighbors, and the only other person who knew their exact address was Anzu, and she was still at work. The only person who could conceivably be on the other side of that door was Yugi. But, why would he knock?

Joey opened the door and was greeted by a man who looked very similar to Yugi, but wasn't.

"Hey." He said. "I think I have something that belongs to you."

"What?" Joey muttered, but then he saw Yugi step out from behind the man. Joey felt his heart fly into his chest when he saw Yugi. "Yugi!" He screamed, pulling the smaller boy inside the apartment. He examined the smaller boy, noticing a few bruises over the boy's face and a small cut on the side of his neck. Joey began to think the worse—Yugi had been mugged, but at the current moment he was too relieved to see Yugi safe and home to be too concerned.

"What happened?" He said softly.

"It's a long story." Yugi murmured. His eyes went straight to the stranger and Joey was quick to notice. Joey felt anger swell up inside him. Who was this stranger, and why was he with Yugi? And why did Yugi seem to be afraid of him? Determined to find answers, Joey stood up and looked over back to Yugi.

"Go clean yourself up." The blonde said sternly. Yugi nodded and turned, walking down the small hallway into the bathroom. Once the dead bolt was heard locking, Joey turned to the stranger, anger flooding in his eyes.

"Who the hell are you?" Joey demanded, his fists clenching. "Why was Yugi with you?"

"My name's Yami," the stranger introduced, raising an eyebrow at the blonde's screams. Yami found it a little off-putting, "and Yugi was with me because I drove him home."

"That doesn't answer my question." Joey growled. "Why was Yugi with you? And why does he look like he walked onto Death's doorstep?"

Yami blinked. Yugi was right; his roommate was protective. "Well…" Yami said quietly. "You see…Yugi and I…we had a date tonight."

Joey was silent. For a few seconds, the only sound was that of the two men breathing. Then:

"What?" Joey screamed. "You and Yugi went on a _date?"_

Yami shook his head defensively. He put his hands out in front of him, afraid that the blonde would charge. "No! I mean…we had a date scheduled, but Yugi…he stood me up. I found him in an alleyway a few miles down the road and he had no memory of me!"

Yami saw a flash of sadness in Joey's eyes, but it only lasted for a moment. Within no time his brown orbs were back to their fiery position.

"And what about the bruises on his face? And that red mark on his neck?"

Yami bit his lip. Should he tell the blonde about his knowledge of Yugi's injuries? Yami didn't feel like he had the right to tell Joey what he saw, but if Yugi was suicidal, then he needed to get help, and needed it fast. Yami finally came to the decision that he had to tell Yugi's roommate about the well-being of his friend, mentally and well as physically. "Well…when I found Yugi in the alleyway, there was another man in there with him. He had a knife pressed against Yugi's neck. I grabbed Yugi and pulled him into my car, and he told me he asked the man to kill him." Yami said dully, realizing how awkward this conversation had become. Neither knew one another and yet they were discussing such an intense issue.

Tears started to sting at the corners of Joey's eyes. He beat himself up mentally. He should've known that Yugi would've tried something like killing himself! If it hadn't been for this stranger—

Joey stopped his train of thought there. This man may have saved Yugi's life, but he still had a romantic interest in Yugi. And after the ordeal Yugi had just been through, Joey was not going to let this man hurt his best friend.

"Look," Joey said quietly, "I don't know how to thank you for saving Yugi's life, but….I can't let you see Yugi. Not in the way you want too."

"What do you mean?" Yami said angrily.

"I'm saying, you can't date him."

Yami seethed. This wasn't fair! It was one thing for Yugi himself to turn him down, but a whole another for Yugi's _roommate_ to turn him down for Yugi. Yugi had a choice in this, and he was old enough to make that choice. Why was this kid even making such a decision on Yugi's behalf?

"Shouldn't that be up to Yugi? And why is his memory so bad? Why couldn't he remember me?"

"Not that it's any of your business," Joey said snottily, "but let's just say that Yugi was in an accident. And let's say that accident may have left Yugi with some memory problems. Let's say that Yugi is still a minor. And let's say I can make choices on Yugi's behalf because I'm his legal guardian until the day he turns eighteen."

Yami felt himself angered by Joey's words. Yugi was old enough to make such decisions by himself. And this kid, Joey, couldn't be any older than nineteen. He was in no position to be making decisions for Yugi. How could he even be a legal guardian? Where were their parents?

"I want to hear Yugi's opinion on that."

"Get out of here before I call the cops." Joey threatened. "I don't want you hanging out with Yugi."

Yami sighed in angry frustration. He couldn't deal with this kid anymore. He would see Yugi another time, he just knew it. But for now it wasn't worth the effort to fight. Without saying a word, Yami turned around and left the apartment, making sure to slam to door as loud as he could.

Joey was left in an eerily silence.

-0-0-0-0-0-

Half an hour later, Yugi lay curled on his bed. His wet hair stuck to his face and the mark on his neck was beginning to throb. Yugi sniffed as tears began to fall down his face. He was so stupid. He shouldn't have gotten into the car with Yami. He was able to hear Joey arguing with him from inside the bathroom, even with the water running in the shower.

There was a small knock on the door. Yugi sighed. He knew he was going to have to talk with Joey about this sooner or later. Right now, Yugi wished he could put off the talk for later. But, Joey wasn't a patient person and he was going to push this until he got the answers he wanted.

"Come in." Yugi said weakly. The dark door creaked opened and Joey's silhouette could be seen. The blonde walked up to Yugi's bed and sat on the foot.

"Yugi…" Joey sighed. "What happened this afternoon? And don't try to bullshit me. I already know the big part of the story."

Yugi sniffed and hot tears fell down his chin. "I'm such a burden to you, Joey…" Yugi cried. "I make you worry for no reason…I make you leave work all the time to come and bring me home…I'm too stupid to even remember my own address …"

"Yugi..." Joey said softly, "it's not your fault."

"I figured you're life…and Anzu's…would be better if I was dead. So I asked Ushio if he would…"

The rest of the sentence didn't need to be said. Yugi sniffed. "He was about to do it then Yami came up and he pushed Ushio away. He drove me home."

"Yami said you two had a date scheduled. Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't remember." Yugi said quietly. "I still don't remember him asking me out. He says I was his waiter yesterday. That seems likely."

"So you're just going to assume that you two had made arrangements?"

"You think he's lying?"

"I think we have no reason to trust him. Even after what he did." Joey pushed some of Yugi's stray blonde locks behind his ear. "Yugi…I know this last year has been hard for you…but Anzu and I would never be able to forgive ourselves if something happened to you. We love you, Yugi, just as friends do. You are not a burden, Yugi. Please…promise me you won't do anything stupid ever again."

"Joey…"

"Promise me. Because if you do, I'll kill myself just so I can kick your ass in Hell."

Yugi sighed, but held back a small laugh at Joey's proclamation. "I promise."

Joey stared at his broken friend and sighed as well. This was one obstacle they were going to have to overcome. Joey knew he would have to contact Anzu and tell her about this evening. She was the only one who could watch Yugi while he was at work. Joey didn't want to resort to that, but he just couldn't trust Yugi to be by himself for the next few days. He would need to be watched constantly. Joey hated having to doubt his trust in his own best friend, but even with the promise, he couldn't trust Yugi not to do anything stupid.

"All right." Joey said. "It's late. Let's go to bed." It was only nine o clock.

Joey stood up and exited the room. He stood in the doorway for a moment, staring at the unmoving figure in the bed. Exhaling deeply, Joey closed the door and left Yugi alone in his bed.

In the dark.

In the silence.

-0-0-0-0-

**Not much of a cliffhanger this week. I have a poll on my profile I'd like you guys to answer, so please vote on it! **

** Till next time! **


	4. Complications

**Hmmm...seems like p****eople didn't like last chapter too much...I wonder why.**

**Sage: Because you are terrible at writing romance...and at writing anything in general.**

**Why don't you ever believe in me? *dramatic crying***

**Sage: Those four years of theatre class haven't helped you. **

-0-0-0-0-0

_-2 Days After Moving In—_

Yugi walked to the restaurant, holding his head down. He let his bangs slide over his left eye and he stared at his feet as he made the way to the diner. He wasn't working today; today he was supposed to meet Joey for lunch. Although Yugi wasn't sure if he wanted to keep the plans, especially after what happened after last night.

Yugi entered the diner and made his way to a seat. One of the other waiters knew he would be here today for lunch, so Yugi didn't need to wait to be seated. He anxiously waited for Joey, rehearsing stories in his head that he would tell Joey.

'Maybe I can tell him I fell.' Yugi thought, drumming his fingers on the table. 'Or I could tell him I got hit with a door, or—'

"Hey, Yuge!" Came Joey's cheerful voice. Surprised, Yugi's head shot up and his bangs fell behind his ears, revealing his big black eye. Joey let out a small gasp.

Yugi's left eye was swollen and almost completely closed. Joey could see a few small tears trying to push out past the lid. Concerned, Joey sat down at the table and looked at Yugi.

"What happened?" Joey asked, his voice raising an octave with anger.

"Uh…" Yugi paused. He hadn't expected Joey for another few minutes! He thought he had some more time to come up with a story to explain his injury. "I-I ran into a door." He lied quickly.

Joey stared at Yugi with scrutiny. "You want to tell me the truth? Yugi, you're a terrible liar."

"That is what happened. I'm not used to Jack's house yet. I got up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom, and I ran into a door."

"Yugi…" Joey's voice trailed. It held a stern warning, like a parent scolding their child. But, after a moment, Joey was able to piece together what had happened to Yugi. His face showed it all. His eyes widened and his mouth opened slightly. He slammed his hands down on the table. "That son of a bitch hit you, didn't he?" Joey didn't give Yugi time to answer before he stood up and stared exiting the booth. "I'll kill him."

"Wait, Joey!" Yugi screamed, chasing after his friend. "You don't understand!"

"There's nothing to understand!"

Biting his lip, Yugi grabbed onto Joey's wrist. "Please, listen to me. Sit down and I'll explain."

Joey was not happy, but he complied with Yugi's request, mostly because people were beginning to stare at the shouting duo. Once the two slid into the booth, Joey crossed his arms and leaned back.

"Okay." He snapped. "Explain."

"Look," Yugi whispered, "Jack came home last night, had a few beers, and he got mad."

"Why?"

"I don't know. He just started screaming at me for no reason. It got physical. He punched me, but he apologized right away! I swear Joey, Jack would never hurt me on purpose. He was just drunk. He told me he loved me and that he was so sorry. He swore that it would never happen again! It was just an accident."

"Yugi, I'm not just going to sit back and do nothing."

"Please, Joey. It was just a drunk mistake."

"Take it from me. It's dangerous to be hanging around with an alcoholic. What if he gets drunk again?"

"He won't." Yugi said adamantly. "Jack told me he wouldn't touch booze again."

Joey stared at Yugi with strong disbelief in his eyes.

"Please," Yugi practically begged, "just stay out of it."

Joey mentally growled. There was no way in hell he was going to stand by and let his best buddy get beat! He needed to find Jack and kill him. Joey knew it was too soon for Yugi to be living with that man. Then it struck Joey. Yugi needed this apartment with Jack. Otherwise, he would be back out on the streets. Yugi would be homeless again. And, maybe, Joey thought. Yugi was right. Maybe the fight was just a drunk mistake. He had only met Jack a few times, but he seemed like a decent guy. He didn't seem like the kind of guy to hit anybody.

Joey couldn't take Jack away from Yugi. In all the time that Yugi had known Jack, he was happier than Joey had seen him in a long time. It would be wrong to get involved over one stupid mistake.

"Fine." Joey finally said, admitting defeat. "I'll let it slide. But if he ever touches you again, I'm going to kill him and nothing you say will convince me otherwise." This was only going to be a one time thing. For now, Joey would let this go. But if it ever happened again, then to hell with everything he just thought. Jack would pay. But for now, he could get away with it.

Deep down in his mind, Joey wondered if he was making a mistake.

_-Present Day—_

Yami waited anxiously outside the diner where Yugi worked. He had left the boy's apartment last night after his fight with Joey, but was unable to take his mind off his small doppelganger. Yami went back to his own apartment and tried to wind down and get his mind onto other topics, but it was futile. Yami had to see Yugi. He had to make sure he was alright.

Of course, with Joey telling him specifically to stay away, Yami was beginning to doubt his intentions. There was a reason Joey wanted him to stay away from Yugi. And there was more to his 'accident' than Joey let on last night. Yami knew it. Yugi's memory loss would be a problem they could get through. Yami loved him, he really did. Yami loved a boy he barely knew. So much that he was willing to face the wrath of the blonde friend who could easily knock him out with one punch.

Sucking in a deep breath, Yami walked into the diner and began searching for Yugi. It wasn't hard because he almost instantly saw the teenager waiting a nearby booth. He was scribbling down the orders for the table and then left to take them to the kitchen. Yami ran after him, ignoring the cry of the hostess telling him he couldn't go back there.

"Yugi!" Yami called.

The boy turned around at the sound of his name. His face reddened and he began to chew on his lip.

"Yugi," Yami said as he came to the waiter's side. Yugi refused to look him in the eye, instead focusing his attention on the floor. "I'm sorry to bother you at work, but I had to make sure you were okay."

"I'm not supposed to talk to you." He mumbled.

"Why? Because your stupid roommate doesn't like you having a life of your own?" Yami said angrily. It wasn't fair that Yugi was letting his life be controlled. Yugi had a right to who he saw, what he did. He wasn't a child who needed mommy's permission before going outside.

"Look," Yugi said, his voice growing tense, "you just don't understand. Joey's just trying to protect me."

"From what? Joey said you had an accident, that's why you have memory problems. What happened Yugi?"

"It's nothing I'm willing to tell a stranger."

"I don't have to be a stranger." Yami began to plead. "You still owe me a date."

"I have work to do." Yugi said, beginning to step away from Yami. "And if Joey ever figured out I disobeyed him, he'd chew my ass."

"Yugi, please." Yami reached out and grabbed Yugi's wrist. He felt the boy tense in his grasp and saw his pupils dilated in fear. "I haven't been able to get you out of my head since I saw you. I want to get to know you. I want to be your friend, if not something more. Just one date. That's all I ask. And if after that you don't ever want to see me again, I'll understand."

Yugi bit his lip and tried to pull his hand out of Yami's grasp. "Let me go, Yami. Please."

"Not until you agree."

"I think he told you to let him go." A new voice chimmed in. Yami turned around and saw a woman with brown hair and green eyes. She was tapping his foot impatiently and had her arms crossed against her chest. She approached Yami angrily and even though she was shorter than him, she showed no fear as she stared into his crimson eyes. "Let him go now." She demanded.

"Anzu, please—" Yugi began, but he was cut off as the girl, Anzu, spoke once again.

"Or do I need to call the police and have them arrest you for harassment?"

Hearing her threat, Yami let go of Yugi's wrist. Anzu continued to stare him in the eye and Yami began to feel intimidated by her deathly glare. "Yugi," she said, not taking her eyes off Yami, "please continue with your work."

"Yes, Anzu." Yugi complied and nearly ran away from the scene.

"You," she said, pointing at Yami's chest, "come with me." She turned around and began to walk to one of the doors in the back corner. Yami closely followed her. Once they entered the back room, Yami regretted following her. They were in the storage room for the kitchen, by themselves, near a shelf full of cutlery.

Anzu reached for a knife and a metal rod and began to sharpen the knife. She said nothing as she scrapped the blade of the knife against the steel of the sharpener. Yami cringed at the sound of metal on metal and he could only picture her inserting the blade into his flesh.

"So," she said at last, pushing the blade slowly across the sharpener, "you're Yami I assume?"

"Y-yes." Yami stuttered, keeping his eyes on the weapon in Anzu's hands.

"Joey called me and told me all about you. He told me how you brought Yugi home last night. He told me how you saved Yugi from Ushio. He told me how you and Yugi were supposed to go on a date."

Yami growled. Why was their date overshadowing the more important issue? Like the fact that Yugi was possibly suicidal? Why were they so concerned over one lousy date? "Let me guess. You're just another person trying to control Yugi."

The sharpener fell from her hand, making a clanging sound on the tile floor. For a moment, all was silent. Then, Anzu growled and approached Yami, swinging the knife in her hand. Yami instinctively back up until he hit the door. Anzu walked up and put the tip of the knife underneath his chin.

"Listen here, buster." Anzu growled softly. "Don't talk shit about stuff you know nothing about. Joey and I are only trying to protect Yugi."

"By treating him like a five year old?"

Anzu bit her lip and Yami could see her hand trembling as she resisted the urge to stab him in the neck.

Maybe it wasn't a good idea to anger her.

"We have our reasons for what we do." She whispered, and for a moment Yami thought it sounded like she was about to cry. "Yugi was hurt, very, very badly. Joey and I are just trying to make sure that doesn't happen again."

"You think I'm going to hurt Yugi? I would never dream of it!"

"That's not what it looked like out there!" She screamed, pointing her knife behind Yami, towards the door. "Did you not see the look in his eyes when you grabbed his wrist? Did you not hear him asking to be let go?"

Yami blinked. Had he really scared Yugi? It didn't make sense for such a simple gesture to cause such panic. But, he didn't know that much about Yugi. Maybe it had something to do with the accident Joey spoke of. "I guess I didn't." Yami admitted, feeling sick. He had hurt Yugi.

"I just want to make sure Yugi is safe. And if that means keeping you from him, then so be it."

"He promised me a date."

Anzu cocked her head and looked deeply into Yami's eyes. Her voice sounded tired and strained and her eyes were red as they tried to hold back tears. "Then that's a promise he's going to have to break." She backed up from Yami and put back the knife she held in her hand. Yami instantly felt relief watching her release her weapon. He was afraid that she would really use it to hurt him.

"Now get out." She said, keeping her back turned to Yami. "And stay away from Yugi."

Yami felt behind him for the door handle. He turned it slowly, not taking his eyes off of Anzu's back. When she didn't move, Yami backed out of the storage room and closed the door in front of him. He turned around and spotted Yugi once more. Yami felt bile rise in his throat at the thought that he had hurt Yugi. He needed to apologize, even if Anzu wanted him to stay away.

"Yugi, wait."

The small teen turned around and a look of annoyance flashed in his eyes. He rubbed his face with his hands and walked over to Yami.

"Yugi," Yami began, "I just wanted to say…I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to grab you."

"It's nothing." Yugi mumbled. "But, you should go."

The words pierced Yami's heart like a knife. It was one thing to hear the words from Yugi's friends. It was something totally different to hear them from Yugi himself.

"It's nothing personal." Yugi continued. "But if you hang around with me, you're going to get hurt. Anzu's skilled with cutlery, as I'm sure you just noticed. And Joey's had to fight to live since the day he was born."

"Why do you let them do that?"

"Do what?"

"Why do they get to boss you around like a three year old? Why do you let them?"

Yugi looked down and for a moment it looked like he was crying. "It's nothing you would understand."

"Then let me try!" Yami shouted, gaining the attention of the customers in the restaurant. "Tell me what I can do to understand. I want to get to know you. I want to spend time with you." Unconsciously, Yami reached out and grabbed Yugi's wrist again.

Yugi let out a small gasp as he tried to rip his arm from Yami's grasp. "Let me go." He whispered so quietly, it couldn't be heard.

"Screw them all." Yami said, oblivious of the fear and panic in Yugi's eyes. "Just do this one thing for me."

"Yami, please…"

Yami still ignored Yugi's pleas as he looked into the eyes of the boy. "Please Yugi. I can't seem to get you out of my head. I don't know what it is about you, but I think I might love you."

"Let go.."

"Just one date. That's all I ask. Please Yugi."

The two boys had become the center of attention of the entire diner. People were staring at the duo, but none would intervene. It wasn't their business. And besides, they sort of enjoyed the entertainment. It put a spin on what would have been a normal, boring lunch hour. Who didn't enjoy seeing people fight?

Suddenly, sirens could be heard approaching the diner. The red and blue lights shone through the windows, blinding Yami momentarily. He watched as the police car pulled into the parking lot of the diner and two uniformed police officers ran out and entered the restaurant.

"Let the kid go!" One of them shouted, holding his baton.

Yami raised an eyebrow. Was he talking to him?

"Let the kid go!" He repeated. Yami felt Yugi struggling to get out of his grasp. The police were talking to him. He released Yugi's wrist and could hear the smaller boy running away.

Yami raised his hands as the two officers ran over to Yami and tackled him to the ground.

Yami let out a grunt of pain as his head collided with the ground. What the hell? Why'd they'd push him? He wasn't resisting arrest.

Yami was forcefully shoved onto his stomach and his arms were pinned behind his back as the handcuffs were applied.

"You're under arrest for the harassment of a minor." The one officer said, tightening the cuffs. Yami grimaced in pain as the metal began to cut into his skin.

"You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be held against you in a court of law."

The officer continued to mirandize him, but Yami tuned him out. He looked up at all the pairs of eyes that were staring at him, lying on the tile floor, being arrested. He looked around, seeing the look of fear and panic in their eyes. They had just come for lunch; they hadn't expected to get a show too.

Near one of the corners, Yami spotted Yugi. It looked as though he were crying. Beside him stood Anzu, glaring at him. If looks could kill, Yami would've been dead ten times over. In her hand she held a small silver cell phone.

'She called the police.' Yami thought, surprised. The a conversation he had with her not just ten minutes ago began to play in his head.

_"Or do I need to call the police and have them arrest you for harassment?"_

She'd done it. She called the police on him. Yami was grabbed by his bound wrists and pulled up onto his feet roughly. With one officer in front of him and the other shoving his baton into Yami's back, he was lead out of the diner and possibly out of Yugi's life.

-0-0-0-0-

**Poor Yami...he just can't seem to catch a break. Sorry to all you Anzu haters, but she ain't going nowhere. She plays an important role in the story, and she will fulfill that role. **

** Please review?  
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	5. Surprise

**I'm going to warn you now: from this point forward, the parts with Jack will be violent. This story is rated M for a reason, and I ask for you to acknowledge that. **

**Also, I'm going to go ahead and apologize for my inability to name chapters. I have no problem with the Title for the story, but I just don't have the talent of naming chapters.  
><strong>

-0-0-0-0-

Yugi walked into his new home quietly. He had just come back from his lunch with Joey. It hadn't been easy to tell his best friend about the black eye, but he was glad that he was able to make Joey understand. It was just a one-time thing. Jack was never going to hurt him again. As he walked down the hall, he could hear the sound of a TV, coming from inside the bedroom. Despite his sureness that Jack wouldn't ever hurt him again, Yugi still felt some fear about opening the door.

Swallowing a lump in his throat, Yugi pushed open the door. He saw Jack laying on the bed, watching the sports channel. Jack turned his head at the sound, and spotted Yugi. He jumped and scrambled towards Yugi.

"Yugi!" He screamed, running towards his significant other. He stood in front of Yugi and saw the black, bulging eye. He felt a pain of guilt swell up inside him. He had done that to his little partner…

"Yugi, I'm so sorry. I don't know what to say, baby. I don't know how to make it up to you."

"It's fine, Jack." Yugi said, giving a small smile. He thought it was sweet how bad Jack felt about a drunk mistake. "It was just an accident."

"I know, but I can't help but feel terrible. I should've had more self-control. This wouldn't have happened."

"Jack, just let it go. I know that it was an accident. Joey understood that it was an accident—"

"Wait." Jack interrupted. "You told Joey?" He felt anger flood inside him. He didn't want that little snot-nosed kid shoving his nose inside his and Yugi's business. He would more than likely call the cops.

"I met Joey for lunch today. I couldn't exactly hide it." Yugi said, pointing to his swollen eye.

"Well, baby. I don't think we should be discussing our business with him. It's none of his concern, and I don't want him gossiping with everyone about what happens behind our doors."

"Joey's not a gossip." Yugi said, scrunching his eyebrows, but still keeping a smile on his face. "He's already promised that he's not going to call the cops. He knows that it was an accident, he trusts me. I know you would never hurt me on purpose, and Joey trusts that too."

"I don't know Yugi…" Deep down, Jack was boiling mad. He wanted to strangle the little brat that was standing in front of him! What right did he have to go around, telling everybody, 'my boyfriend beat me in a drunken rage'? Did he want him to get arrested? Jack fought hard to mask his anger. A moment ago, he was truly sorry for hitting Yugi. Now that he knew the kid was talking about it openly with his friends, he just wanted to beat the living shit out of him.

"Jack, just relax. Joey's not going to tell. Now I think I'll make dinner. Is spaghetti okay?"

"Yeah, that's fine." Jack said, grinding his teeth. He watched as Yugi turned around and headed into the kitchen. He closed the door in front of him and began to shove his fingernails into the flesh of his palm. He could hear the clanging of pots in the kitchen. Yugi thought he was never going to hurt him again. He was sure of it. Jack smirked. He was going to use that idiotic trust to his advantage.

"Looks like that little brat needs a beating." Jack said quietly. Yugi deserved it for talking about the incident last night with his stupid friend. He needed to learn not to speak about what happened inside this apartment. All Jack needed to do was beat him for a few hours. With a simple threat of another beating, the little asshole would learn what was considered private information.

Smiling, Jack dug his hand into his pocket and pulled out his wallet. He stared at the two pictures inside it, both young girls. He remembered them both wonderfully. One girl had long, dark hair, down to her waist. Her eyes were like crystals and they shone brightly. She had been a nice girl, and it almost pained Jack to have to get rid of her.

Almost.

The other girl was the complete opposite. She had short, blonde hair and dark brown eyes. She was smart, but also had a sassy, sarcastic side that got annoy fast. Jack felt little to no remorse for what he had done to her. But, she did have some sentimental value to Jack. She had been his first. She was what made him love doing this.

Jack smirked. It was only a matter of time before a third picture got added to his wallet. All he would have to do was wait until the time was perfect. When Yugi's turn came, he would know it, just as he knew with the two girls.

Time was ticking.

-0-0-0-0-

"_You got arrested?" _ Seto's shrill voice came over the phone and Yami flinched at the intensity of it. He could imagine his cousin slamming his hand down on the old oak desk, standing up, grinding his teeth. He had seen Seto do that before whenever he got a phone call he didn't like. Yami began to wonder if he made a bad choice using his one phone call on his cousin. _"On what charges?"_

Yami twisted the black phone cord around his finger. "Harassment and assault of a minor." He said dully, focusing his attention on the cement floor beneath him. The police added the assault charge as they booked him in, saying that by not letting Yugi go, he had been hurting the teen. Yami's eyes looked around, spotting the other inmates. Many were much taller than him. Some were all muscle, while some were as skinny as twigs. Most had tattoos of their gang signs. Yami was uncomfortable being locked in a small room with these men.

_"Yami, are you a fucking idiot?" _Seto screamed over the phone. Yami had to pull the receiver away from his ear some, afraid his cousin would break his ear drums. _"Why the hell would you have those charges?"_

"Because I've been bugging this kid I like," Yami whispered slowly, "and I grabbed his arm to get his attention."

There was an angry sigh from the other end of the line. Yami imagine Seto sitting back down now, holding his head with his hands. _"I give you nearly three weeks of vacation, and you spend it by getting arrested within the first two days."_

"Believe me," Yami said angrily. "This was not how I imagined I spend my time off."

_"So…what am I supposed to do?"_

Yami felt his face flush and sweat form at his brow. He hated having to resort to begging, but he couldn't spend the night in jail. And he certainly didn't have the money right now to pay his own bail.

"I need you to bail me out." Yami muttered, embarrassed at having to ask Seto for help.

There was silence from the other end, maybe for the faint, subtle sound of fingers tapping along Seto's oak desk. "I can't." Came the eventual reply.

Yami felt his heart drop into his stomach and he took a deep breath and began to chew on his lip. He knew that answer wasn't out of the realm of possibility. In fact he more than expected to receive that answer. But it was one thing to imagine it; it was another to hear it in real life.

"I can't just leave work, moron." Seto continued. "I have to finish organizing that damn tournament."

Yami felt anger pulse through his veins as Seto continued to talk. He was amazed at his cousin's selfishness. It wasn't about him getting arrested…it was about Seto and his damn work! "You can't take one hour out of your busy day to bail your cousin out? Damn it, Seto! I'm family!"

"The only family I have is Mokuba."

Yami had to resist throwing the phone in anger. He could feel the guard's eyes staring him down from behind and Yami could only imagine that everyone could hear his shouts of anger and frustration. "So I'm nothing more than an employee?" Yami seethed, talking through his teeth.

"A soon to be ex-employee if you don't end this call and leave me alone."

"Seto—"

Yami was interrupted by the low buzz of the dial tone. Yami felt the phone slip through his hand the cord, unwinding itself around his fingers. He couldn't believe it! That asshole hung up on him! Yami clenched his fists and resisted every urge to punch a hole into the wall in front of him. He knew Seto was a bastard, but Yami couldn't believe that he had the balls to say they weren't family. He couldn't believe Seto would say that Yami was only an employee to him.

Yami heard footsteps approaching. He knew it was the guard who had been supervising the call. Yami felt the larger man put a rough hand on his shoulder.

"Is someone coming for you?" He asked as he began to escort Yami into his jail cell.

Yami shook his head, still unable to comprehend the conversation he just had with Seto. "No." Yami looked at his feet as he walked into the cell. There was only a twin bed pushed up against the wall, a toilet, and a sink in the entire room. Yami turned to face the guard who handed Yami an orange bundle with a pair of white sneakers on top.

"Change into this." The guard commanded. "We'll lock up the rest of your belongings for you until your release." The guard pulled on the door and the metal bars slid out in front of Yami, making a loud, clanging noise as it shut tight and locked. The guard walked away, giving Yami some minute privacy.

Sighing, Yami stripped out of his casual clothes and reluctantly put on the orange jump suit. There was no mirror in his cell, so he had no idea how he looked with it on, but he couldn't imagine he looked spectacular. He couldn't believe the mess he had gotten himself into. Arrested? It was one word he never imagined for himself.

Yami felt tired and he turned and spotted the small bed. It didn't look particularly comfortable but it was better than nothing. He climbed onto the metal bed and laid flat on his back, staring at the blank ceiling. He sighed, and imagined seeing Yugi sitting next to him.

Why couldn't he get the kid out of head?

He barely knew the kid, but for some reason Yami felt he'd known him his whole life. He wanted to know Yugi better. He wanted to be friends with him, and maybe, eventually, something more. But his friends proved to be a problem. He didn't take Joey's words the other day to heart. The blonde told him to stay away from Yugi, but Yami didn't believe they would do anything to stop the two from seeing each other.

Boy had he been wrong. They hated him, and he barely knew their names. They barely knew his. They hated him so much they had him arrested! Yami sighed and rubbed his face with his hands. He didn't know what to make of the situation. He wanted to hang out with Yugi, he wanted to get to know the person behind those sad, sad eyes.

Yami wanted to know why Yugi's eyes were like that. And why did he freak out when all Yami did was hold his wrist? It seemed to be an irrational way to respond to an everyday touch. But replaying that memory over in head, he saw the look of fear in Yugi's eyes. He couldn't help but wonder why. There was no reason for the younger teen to have reacted in such a way. And there was defiantly no reason for Anzu to have called the cops.

Yami bit his lip, feeling anger grow towards the brunette. She had been the one to have him arrested. She was just like Joey; making decisions for Yugi, and keeping Yugi sheltered like a small baby. She had been way out of line in the way she confronted Yami.

In fact, Yami began to think, he could have _her _arrested. She had threatened him with a knife! Yami reached up and felt the same space of skin where the blade had touched. He burrowed his brows. That had to be considered attempted murder, it just had too!

But, Yami realized, it would be his word against hers. And he just knew a court would be more likely to believe a young girl over him. Yami let out a small groan of anger and frustration and flipped over onto his stomach, pressing his face into the one pillow.

He wanted to scream so desperately. But he managed to keep it in and empty his mind. It would do him no good to worry about things he couldn't control. All he could hope for now as that Seto would take his head out his ass long enough to bail him out of jail.

-0-0-0-0-0-

Yami hadn't realized he had fallen asleep until he was awoken by a guard's voice. Groaning, Yami forced himself into an upright position and rubbed his eyes. He could hear the clamor of the entire jail, the loud voices of the other criminals were easily carried throughout the entire building.

It brought a chill down Yami's spine to think of who he was locked up with. Rapists, murderers, thieves. And all he had was an assault and harassment charge.

Yami got out of bed and stretched. A guard came up to the cell door and took out a key. He unlocked the door and motioned for Yami to follow.

"Congratulations, Sennen." The guard said not too enthusiastically. "You're being released."

Yami almost stopped walking, surprised. Had Seto finally come to bail him out? Yami doubted it because of how serious the CEO had sounded yesterday. How else was he being released?

They walked up to the entrance of the jail, where the counter was. Yami found Yugi waiting silently by the desk. Yami felt his heart fly up when he saw his little love. But, what was he doing here?

"Mister Motou here has requested that the charges against you be dropped." The guard said, looking over at Yami. "And because the two officers yesterday admitted to using unnecessary force, you're arrest is being filed as a mistake."

"Really?" Yami couldn't believe it. Yugi had been the one to get him out. He stood shyly by the door, wearing a gray sweater that was too large for him. He stood with his arms crossed against his chest, and when his eyes locked with Yami's, they were dull and sad.

A man behind the counter pointed a pen towards Yugi. "Just sign these papers and he's all yours."

"Thank you." Yugi said softly, scribbling his signature onto the small sheet of paper. When he was done, the man at the counter looked at it for a moment, studying it. Then, he shook Yugi's hand.

"Alright. Mister Sennen is free to go." Turning his head towards Yami, he said, "You can find your belongings in the backroom."

Yami looked over at Yugi again and their eyes locked. For a moment it seemed there was only silence lingering in the air. Feeling the awkward tension rising, Yami turned his head and followed the guard to collect his clothing.

-0-0-0-0-

Several minutes later, he was following Yugi out of the police station. The younger boy did his best to avoid eye contact, keeping his violet irises onto the stone pavement rather than up at Yami's.

They walked together in silence for a few minutes. Yami had no idea what to say. He was grateful for the teenager bailing him out, but he didn't want to scare him off. That was how he got arrested in the first place.

Yugi stopped walking and sighed. He pulled his head up and looked at Yami. He shuffled his feet uncomfortably. "What happened yesterday?"

Yami mentally froze. Did Yugi have another memory lapse? What was he supposed to tell him?

"I remember that you got arrested." Yugi continued. "I remember seeing the assault charges on the papers I signed. But I don't remember how you got arrested. And Joey and Anzu aren't telling me anything."

Yami felt his fist clench. Once again, Yugi's 'friends' were treating him like a little kid. They were withholding information, and were trying to keep the two separated. All Yami wanted to do was to get to know Yugi, to see if they even were capable of having a lasting relationship. Yami couldn't describe the feeling he felt towards Yugi. It felt like love, but he knew nothing about the boy. He wanted to learn about the boy's hobbies, his likes and dislikes, his life. Why was that such a problem with his two friends?

"Please," Yugi began talking again, "I need to know. I need to fill in the missing space in my head, and you're the only one who can help."

"I…" Yami trailed off. He found himself uncomfortable. How was he supposed to tell Yugi what happened yesterday. It wasn't like he could just come out and say 'You're friend called the police because I touched your wrist.' It sounded stupid even to him. He wanted to give Yugi answers, but he had no idea how to vocalize them.

"Well," Yami said, "what do you remember?"

Yugi shook his head. "All I remember is watching you being place into the police car."

Yami began to chew on the inside of his lip. Yugi didn't remember any of the events leading up to his arrest. He saw the pleadingly look in Yugi's eyes. He could feel how desperately Yugi wanted to know.

Yami couldn't imagine how it would be to have blanks in his memory. He couldn't imagine how Yugi felt right now.

"Look," Yami sighed, "your friend called the police. She felt I was harassing you. I reached for your hand and they said it was assault."

"Is that all?"

Yami wasn't comfortable telling the teen anymore. He didn't want to tell Yugi about how scared he look when all Yami did was grab his hand. He didn't want Yugi to fear him. He wanted to be friends with Yugi, and maybe something more. He didn't want to scare off the teen. "That's all." Yami said.

Yugi sighed and a small smile came to his face. "Thank you." He said quietly. "Thank you for being the first person to ever treat me like an adult."

So Yugi noticed the boundaries his friends placed around him? Why didn't he do anything about it, to stop it? Why didn't he ever speak up for himself?

"I want to help you." Yami said, before he could really stop himself.

Yugi let out a small scoff and shook his head. "Thank you, but I have enough people trying to help me." He cocked his head to the right some. "Come on. Let's go."

Yami raised an eyebrow. "Go where?"

"Well, I still owe you a date, don't I?"

-0-0-0-0-

**Well, it took five chapters, but Yugi and Yami finally get their date! Sorry I didn't update last week, but as I was reading over this chapter, I noticed some things in there, big things, that I realized I didn't want. So, I had to re-write practically half of the chapter. **

** Thanks for reading, and please review! **


	6. Date Time

**Woooh! Spring Break 2012! You know what that means!**

**Sage:…You're gonna spend a whole week in your room reading and writing fanfiction?**

**Yup!**

**Sage:….You need to get a life. **

**T.T I know! **

-0-0-0-0-

"I'm so sorry, Yugi, baby, I don't know what came over me!" Jack said, nearly crying. He'd become a great actor over the years. He almost had himself convinced. He was on his knees, holding a quiet Yugi in his arms.

Yugi had dried tears on his face, his eyes bloodshot. His newest prize was a broken lip, blood slowly falling down his chin. Yugi sat on the floor, being held by the man who, just a few moments ago, had punched him. It had been such a shock to him, especially after Jack had promised he would never hurt him again.

But, yet, here he was. Crying over what he had done. Yugi didn't know how to take it. Was Jack really sorry for what he had done? He sounded like it, and Yugi wanted to believe him.

Yugi flinched slightly when Jack moved a lock of his hair and pushed it behind his ear.

"Yugi, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to baby, honest!"

"B-but…" Yugi said softly, afraid, "but you did it…"

"I know, Yugi. I've just been so angry lately, what with my work and school, and just life. I took it out on you, and I'm sorry. I can never forgive myself!" Inside, Jack was laughing. He could see it in Yugi's eyes. The younger boy was believing him. And it was only a matter of time before Yugi accepted the 'apology' and the duo went on with their normal lives.

It was bright daylight, noon, and the sun shone through the windows. The heavy noise of traffic could be heard easily.

"Yugi…please say something."

"I-I…" Yugi stuttered, finding himself fighting new tears threatening to fall.

"I'll be more careful with my anger. I promise."

Yugi took a shaky breath and swallowed a lump in his throat. "I forgive you Jack." He turned around and looked at the blonde man. "I know you would never hurt me on purpose.'"

"I wouldn't. I love you, Yugi."

"…I love you, Jack."

To Yugi, the words felt strange on his tongue. He did love Jack. He loved him with all his heart. Jack was tall, funny, smart. Strong. Easily angered. But, that was the point of love, wasn't it? To get passed a person's flaws, to see who a person is despite their flaws? He loved Jack.

And he knew that Jack loved him too.

-0-0-0-0-0-

Yami walked with Yugi to a small restaurant nearby. Yami felt all sorts of emotions rushing through him at the idea that he was finally going to get his date with Yugi. The boy had bailed him out of jail and now he was going to lunch with him.

The restaurant they chose was a small burger place, but it was quiet, which was something Yami appreciated. They had sat down at a table and a waitress had taken their order. As they waited for their food, they began to talk.

"So," Yami said, preparing to ask a question he had for many moments, "how do your friends feel about you dropping the charges?"

Yugi was quiet and began to chew on his lip. "They don't know about it."

Yami raised an eyebrow. "They don't?"

Yugi shook his head. "Anzu gave me the day off and Joey's at work…I figured this was probably the only chance I could get to do the right thing."

Yami was impressed by the boy's stealth. He didn't think Yugi had it in him to defy his friend's wishes. It seemed he cared a little too much about their opinion to do otherwise. But, Yami was also thankful for it. If Yugi hadn't come, then he would most likely still be in jail. His asshole cousin wasn't going to bail him out anytime soon, so there was no saying how long Yami would've been kept there.

"I guess I should apologize for them." Yugi said quietly. "It's uncalled for. Joey shouldn't have yelled at you the other night, and Anzu didn't need to call the police."

"Why are they so protective of you?" Yami asked, leaning forward slightly. Protectiveness like that didn't just fall from the sky. Something had to have happened for the duo to take such precautions with Yugi.

Yugi fiddled with the straw of his drink for a moment. Yami noticed his eyes seemed to get dull and quiet once more. He suddenly felt guilty. He had crossed into private territory. It wasn't any of his business why Joey and Anzu were so protective over their smaller friend. It was something that had happened between the three of them, and Yami was still a stranger, no matter how much he wished he wasn't.

"I'm sorry." Yami said, hanging his head. "It's none of my business."

He saw Yugi give a small smile and his eyes rose and met Yami's. "They mean well, they really do. I don't blame them, or hate them for it. But sometimes I wish they would have more faith in me. I wish they would trust me to be with other people by myself."

"What do you mean?"

"They've already explained. They have no problem with me. It's everyone else they seem to have a bone to pick with."

The waitress came and brought their food, interrupting their conversation for a moment. Yugi thanked her and when she left he turned back to Yami.

"What about your memory?" Yami asked, hoping he wasn't making Yugi uncomfortable. It seemed like another personal question, but wasn't that the point of a date? To get to know each other?

"I was in an accident about a year ago." Yugi explained quietly. "It's just new memories that I lose. I can remember everything that happened before the accident, it's just new memories that seem to evade me."

Yugi peered past Yami slightly, looking out the window. He saw the dozens of people walking the streets of Domino City. He enjoyed seeing their faces, even though they were strangers. Every few seconds his eyes would go from Yami back to the window, but he always turned his attention back to Yami. He didn't want to be rude, and honestly, he wanted to get to know the older man too. Yugi enjoyed looking into his deep, almost crimson eyes. For some reason, he felt safe looking into those eyes.

"I can't imagine how hard that must be." Yami said. "What's it like when you forget something?"

"It's like having just a…blank in my mind. If I forget something, it's just a blank void. I might remember some of what happened before, or what happened after, but the middle is always gone."

Yami watched the small boy. He couldn't believe that just a few days ago he saw this kid almost let himself be killed. He could see the sadness in his eyes, but he still couldn't imagine why it would be so bad as to think of suicide. His friends loved him; that was obvious. There was something being kept from him. It had to have something to do with that accident Yugi spoke of earlier.

There was something to that accident that explained everything. But, once again, it wasn't any of his business. Yami was sure the topic would come up later, and soon he would know everything about Yugi, just like he wanted to. But for now he would just have to wait and be patient and allow Yugi to set the pace.

"Joey's going to be furious when he finds out about this date." Yugi said.

"What's he got against you meeting new people?" Yami asked, keeping his eyes on the beautiful boy in front of him.

"Like I said. He just doesn't trust them."

"Sounds like a lonely way to live. Just automatically not trusting strangers. He doesn't even get to know them."

"It's just how he was raised." Yugi shrugged, taking a bit of his burger. "He's a real good guy. Don't get fooled by his abrasiveness. He can be a real puppy dog."

"Sounds like you really know him."

Yugi smiled. "I've known him practically my whole life. Anzu too."

"Yeah…" Yami trailed off, remembering the feeling of the knife being pressed against his skin. For a moment he thought he felt blood running down his neck.

"She didn't scare you too bad, did she?" Yugi said, his voice showing worry.

"She's…" Yami paused, chewing on his lip. He looked up at Yugi and saw the curious look in the boy's eyes. He let out a small laugh and shook his head. "She's feisty."

"She scares you, doesn't she?"

"…Yes."

Yugi began to laugh and Yami smiled. He had a pretty laugh. "Yeah," Yugi said, "she can have that effect on people. But she's really nice once you get to know her."

Yugi's eyes went up to the window and saw the people walking outside. The traffic had subsided some, so there weren't as many people out walking as before.

"So," Yami said, stirring his straw around the circumference of his drink, "have you been on many dates?"

Yugi froze and began to choke on his drink. He coughed some and looked back up at Yami. "Uh…what did you say? Were you asking about my other…relationships?"

"I'm sorry, is it too personal?" Damn it! Why couldn't he do anything right? Now Yugi probably thought he was some crazy, intrusive stalker.

Yugi shook his head and tried to regain his composure. He took a few deep breaths and calmed himself down. "Uh, no. It's fine. It's just…there's really no story there." Yugi lied. He didn't want Yami knowing about his relationship with Jack. He was actually having a good time hanging out with the older man. He didn't want to scare him off, or make things awkward.

"You've never been on a date before?" Yami couldn't imagine why. Yugi was attractive, funny; he really made for good company. He found it hard to believe that he had been the first to see this in the younger boy.

"I've been on a date here and there before." Yugi said quietly, trying not to let anything he didn't want said slip out. "But they never really went anywhere. A lot of the times, I never heard from him again after the dinner, or the movie."

"Oh…" Yami hadn't expected things to get awkward like this. He wanted to make Yugi feel comfortable, but it seemed like he was doing a poor job of it right now. Yami sighed and stirred his straw around his drink, occasionally picking it up and trying to push the ice cubes down to the bottom.

"What about you?" Yugi asked, acting unfazed, as though it didn't hurt him to talk about his past relationships. "How have your past dates been?"

Yami shrugged. "There's no story there either."

"I told you mine. It's only fair that you tell me yours." Yugi said, leaning forward.

"Well," Yami said, feeling embarrassed as he thought about his past relationships, "I've never really had a boyfriend, in such words."

"What do you mean?" Yugi asked. "Unsupportive parents?"

"No." Yami shook his head. "When I told them I was gay, they were very supportive. They had no problems at all. But they told me that it didn't change anything." Seeing the confused look on Yugi's face, Yami was quick to step in and finish his story. "I still was supposed to abstain from sex until I was married, and found the perfect person."

"I take it that didn't go so well?"

"I was eighteen and a stupid, hormonal teenager. My parents ended walking in on me having sex with a male prostitute."

"Ouch." Yugi grimaced. "How did your parents react?"

"As you would expect. They were angry and upset. I couldn't stand to see them like that, knowing I betrayed their trust and caused that. So, I managed to get a job with my cousin at his business and moved out. It's an okay job, but the pay is good, so I supposed I'd be making an asshole of myself by complaining. What about you and your job?"

"Oh, I've been working at the diner for nearly three years now. I like it. I mean, it's not the best job, but it pays the bills." He smiled weakly and shrugged, taking a sip of his drink.

Yami couldn't help but imagine the condition of Yugi's apartment. It had been small, and dark, and dusty. Not to mention the side of town it was in. Nothing good ever came onto the news about the Red Light Zone. It wasn't called that because of its street lights. Rather, it was symbolic of something else red, and shiny…

"What about school?" Yami asked, furrowing his brows. Yugi was still school aged, he knew that. This kid should be earning an education, so he could get a better job, and move to a better apartment.

"I-I'm a dropout." Yugi said, ashamed and hung his head. "With all the bills piling up, Joey and I couldn't afford for us to go to school…we were missing hours to make money."

Yugi and Joey seemed to be having a hard time just making a living. Then a thought came to Yami: why was Yugi living with Joey? Why wasn't he living with his parents? "What about your parents, why aren't you living with them?"

Yugi sighed at the thought of his parents. He looked up through the window again and froze. There was a man outside, staring at him, glaring. His hair was brown and his nose was crooked, but it was his eyes that caught Yugi's attention. They were a sparkling blue. He'd recognize those eyes anywhere.

"Jack." Yugi whispered, swallowing a lump in his throat. He hadn't seen Jack in nearly a year. Not since the incident. He didn't think he'd ever see Jack again, but now, staring at him through the glass, Yugi felt his heart rate increasing. He was terrified.

"Yugi?" Yami asked after the silence. He saw something change in the boy's eyes and he wasn't sure if he liked it or not. Yami saw that his attention was focused on the window behind him and he turned around, but there was no one there. "Yugi, is everything alright?"

"I'm sorry, Yami." Yugi said, standing up. "But I have to go." He felt tears pricking at his eyes and he didn't want anyone to see them. He just wanted to go home and lock himself in his room.

"Wait, Yugi!"

"I had a great time, I really did. But I need to get home before Joey does. Can't have him knowing I went on a date with you, can we?" Yugi tried to smile, but found himself unable too. He was just too fearful.

"Umm…okay." Yami said, unsure of what to do.

"If there's ever a time when you want to meet again…you know where to find me."

"What about your boss? What we will we do to make sure she doesn't see us?"

"Anzu tends to take Sundays off so she can catch up with her studies…"

"So, I'll see you Sunday then?"

"Sure, but please, let me go now. Joey will be home any minute—"

"Do you want a ride?"

Yugi shook his head. "I'm fine walking." In reality, Yugi just wanted some time alone, to clear his head. He knew the way home from here, so walking wasn't a problem. "Bye Yami. Thanks for a good time."

Yugi turned around and ran out of the restaurant, squeezing by other customers, before running out the door. Yami watched him through the window, smiling. That had gone better than expected. Yugi had even agreed to a second date. Maybe not in such words, but he didn't tell Yami to piss off and go to hell. As far as Yami was concerned, the lunch date had gone great. He got out of prison, and had a date with the boy he'd been thinking of for the past few days. Not necessarily the way he planned things to go, but at least it wasn't boring.

Yami smiled. Things seemed to be looking good for him and Yugi.

-0-0-0-0-

**Another chapter down. I hope you like this chapter; I've been finding I'm not so good at writing romance. Or fluff. **

** Sage: Or anything. **

** Yeah…well, till next time! Please review! **


	7. Mood Swings

**I don't think I've made this clear, so I will now. **

** In the flashbacks:**

** Yugi is 15**

** Jack is 21**

** When the story is in real time:**

** Yugi is 17**

** Joey is 19**

** Yami is 21**

** Just something important that needed to be cleared up. **

-0-0-0-0-0-

Yugi placed his leather wallet into his back pocket and tugged at the sleeves of his shirt. He exited his bedroom and spotted Jack on the couch, watching television. Yugi tried to ignore his boyfriend, and hoped that he would do the same. But, as Yugi reached the door, Jack's eyes shut up and he growled.

"Where are you going?" He snapped. Yugi felt his skin crawl at the sound of his voice. When had he become afraid of Jack?

"I-I'm going out."

"Out where?" Jack stood up from the couch and walked over to Yugi, pressing the smaller boy up against the wall.

"I'm meeting Joe-Joey and Anzu at the movies." Yugi slightly winced at the sound of his stutter. The last he needed right how was to show weakness. Jack fed off his weakness.

Jack studied Yugi for a moment with his beady eyes. "Cancel." He said, malice lacing his voice. Then he turned around and started back towards his spot on the couch.

Yugi felt his mouth turn dry. He knew better than to talk back, but, something in his mind told him to speak. "We've had these plans for two weeks." He whispered.

Jack spun around and walked back towards Yugi. "And you are going to cancel. Don't bullshit me. You're sleeping with her, aren't you?"

Yugi's eyes widened at the accusation. He wasn't sure what was worse: the fact that Jack accused him of cheating, or the fact that Jack accused him of cheating with a childhood friend. "I-I…Anzu…we're just friends!" Yugi pleaded.

Jack snorted. "I said don't bullshit me. You've been staying late at work, and she's your boss. You're having sex with her in the restaurant? You sicken me."

"We're not having sex! Jack, I'm a virgin. I wouldn't betray you."

Yugi didn't have time to see the hand coming towards him. Before he knew it, he was on the ground, holding a hand to his now bruising cheek. He didn't even have time to speak before Jack grabbed him by the wrist and hoisted him into the air, where he then began to drag the younger boy across the room.

"Jack!"

"Shut up. I need to go out, and I can't trust you to be faithful."

"I would _never _cheat on you!" Hot tears pricked at Yugi's eyes. Then, he saw Jack open the door that lead to the hall closet. Yugi's eyes widened.

"You'll spend the night in here." Jack shoved Yugi into the closet, throwing him to the floor. Before Yugi could stand, the door was shut tightly behind him and Yugi heard the sound of the lock clicking. Yugi panicked and got right up next to the door and began to pound on it.

"Jack!" Yugi hit the door repeatedly. "Jack, let me out!" But Yugi could hear the sound of Jack's distancing footsteps and then the sound of a door opening and closing.

It struck Yugi. Jack had left. He had left the apartment. He had left Yugi locked in the closet. Yugi sniffed and fell to his knees, leaning on the door with his forehead pressed against the wood. Tears dripped down his face and landed on the floor. Jack was getting more violent with each passing day. He would yell more. He would hit Yugi more. And the younger boy couldn't figure out why. What had he done to make Jack angry? He tried being a good boyfriend. He would make dinner, and keep the apartment clean, despite his grueling hours at the diner.

But Jack didn't seem to appreciate any of his work. Instead, he only seemed to get even angrier. Yugi knew he needed to leave, but he loved Jack. Didn't he? And Jack loved him. Right?

What was he going to do?

-0-0-0-0-

Yugi filled the sink with cold water. He placed his hands into the cool pool and washed his face with it. He was shaking and had to force himself to breath. He looked into the mirror and saw his bloodshot eyes and his pale face. He gripped the side of the vanity to stable himself and tried to calm himself down.

"Calm down." He said softly, closing his eyes. "You don't even know if that _was _Jack." Yugi tried to convince himself. It didn't make sense for that man to have been Jack. The only similarities he shared with Yugi's ex were the blue eyes. Besides, he hadn't seen Jack in over a year, and was fairly certain the man had skipped town.

He hadn't seen or heard from the man, or of the man, since the incident.

Speaking of the incident…Yugi sighed. The anniversary of the date was coming up. He didn't know what to make of it. He didn't know how Joey would deal with it. The hardest part of all of this had been seeing Joey struggle as well. Yugi could deal with his own pain. It was himself, not having to deal with any other person. But, he couldn't bear to see Joey hurt, especially since Joey had been like a brother to him since the first day they met.

Yugi smiled slightly when he thought of how he and Joey met. It had been nearly eleven years ago, when they were in the first grade. Yugi remembered there were some bigger kids whose names he couldn't remember anymore. They had been picking on him because of his height. Yugi didn't know what to do, or what to say, so he just stood there, taking it.

Then came along this blonde, loud-mouthed kid named Joey. He screamed at the bigger boys to leave Yugi alone and they did. Joey invited Yugi to play with him on the playground and they had been friends ever since.

Joey had been there for Yugi ever since they met. Yugi hated having to put Joey through pain. He knew how hard Joey worked to make sure they both were fed and had a roof over their heads. Yugi worked, but his hours weren't as fluid as Joey's. Sometimes the blonde would work for a full twenty-four hours without a break.

Sighing, Yugi dried off his face and drained the sink. He had to get his mind off the past. Instead, he chose to focus on the date he just finished. Yugi wasn't sure how he felt about Yami. He liked Yami, he seemed like a nice man. But, that was about all he could make an opinion of.

Yami was the first person in a long time to treat him like an adult, and Yugi respected that. But, Yami also seemed possessive. Yugi may not have remembered what happened the other day. All he saw when he tried to conjure up a memory was nothing but a white void. But, if what Yami said was true, then it could be dangerous to hang around him. He had been following Yugi around for almost a week now, and Yugi wasn't sure how to respond to the attention.

Yugi didn't want to upset Joey and Anzu by seeing him, but he also wanted the freedom to make his own choices, and that included who he hung out with. Besides, he kind of already agreed to a second date.

"Well, what they don't know won't hurt them." Yugi said quietly. He didn't like the idea of sneaking around his friend's backs. But, if that was what he had to do, then so be it.

There was the sound of an opening door, indicating that Joey was home. Yugi bit his lip as he stared into the mirror. Could he lie to Joey? He was a terrible liar, and Joey had always been able to see through his facades. But, he didn't want to tell Joey anything. He didn't want Joey to know he had bailed Yami out of jail, and then went on a date with him.

Somehow, he couldn't see Joey taking it very well.

"It's worth a try." Yugi said, shuffling his feet. He was going to lie to Joey, and hopefully get away with it. If he was lucky, then Joey would be too tired to ask very many questions and would just go to bed.

Yugi exited the bathroom and saw Joey digging through the fridge. He pulled out a soda and slammed the door shut, grunting.

He looked up at Yugi and sighed. "We need groceries." He said glumly.

"I can pick some up after work tomorrow." Yugi volunteered. "What do we need?"

"Milk, bread, eggs…I suppose some microwave meals. Those are cheap."

"Is that all?"

"It's all we can afford!" Joey said angrily. Yugi remained quiet. He had seen Joey like this before, and was used to it by now. The blonde had a reason to be angry. With both of them working minimum wage jobs, they could barely met their rent, much less pay for food. The only consolation they had was that utilities such was water and electric were paid along with the rent. They could go a day without eating, but with both of them coming home in sweat nearly each day, they could not go without a shower.

"Things will get better." Yugi said softly, trying to console his friend. "You'll see. Maybe your boss will give you that promotion."

"Actually…" Joey said, "In a few weeks, there's supposed to be this duel monsters tournament."

"Really?" Yugi said, excited. He hadn't played duel monsters in years, although he still loved the game. He had his cards stashed in a box under his bed that hadn't been touched in a while.

Joey nodded. "Nearly everybody is complaining, but I figure if I keep my mouth shut and do my job, I can be something more than a bellhop."

"Assistant Manager Wheeler."

"Yeah," Joey snorted, "I get to go from dealing with rude people telling me to carry their bags, to dealing with rude people trying to skip out on a bill."

Yugi shrugged. "At least it's more paperwork, less physical work."

"I suppose so." Joey opened his can of soda, letting it hiss for a moment before taking a sip. "So, what did you do today?"

Yugi felt his face turn red and tried to remain calm. "Nothing." He lied. "I just stayed here and watched TV."

He waited anxiously for Joey's reply, for Joey to scan him up and down with his brown, scrutinizing eyes and ask for the truth. He never had gotten away with lying to Joey. He didn't know if it was because he was just that bad a liar, or if Joey had just known him long enough to figure out if something was wrong. Either way, Yugi hoped and prayed Joey would buy his answer and leave him alone.

"Mmm." Came Joey's reply. Yugi felt his heart rise up. Joey hadn't given much of a response, but he wasn't pressing the issue either. He seemed to have bought Yugi's story. "I'm going to take a shower." Joey said flatly, taking another sip of his cola.

"Alright." Yugi said, watching his friend step by him. Joey walked into the bathroom, slamming the door behind him. Yugi's eyes wandered over to the fridge. He opened the door and frowned. All there was were a few cans of soda and some rotten fruit. Sighing, he pulled out the container of rotten grapes and walked over to the trash can. They were black and wrinkled, almost like raisins and they smelled repulsive. Yugi threw them into the trash and stared at them for a moment.

'At least I had lunch.' He though, trying to ignoring the growl of his stomach.

-0-0-0-0-0-

The next morning, Yugi left the apartment early to get to work and earn some extra cash for the shopping he would have to later that night. Joey had still been asleep when he left, but Yugi was able to leave without telling his roommate.

There was another alternative to his leaving early. Yugi couldn't bear to look Joey in the eyes, not after he had lied to him yesterday. Yugi still couldn't believe he had gotten away with it. Never before had he been able to lie to Joey and the blonde not figure it out. They had known each other for over a decade, and Joey seemed to be able to read Yugi like an open book, even when the smaller boy tried to hide his emotions. Joey knew when Yugi was happy, when he was sad, angry, and when he was lying.

The small teen was still waiting for the call from Joey once he figured out the truth.

Joey still thought Yami was in jail, so it probably wouldn't be until a few days before he figured it out. It was only a matter of time, Yugi knew it. He just hoped he could postpone it as far as he could.

While he thought of that, the image of Yami also came into his mind. Yugi wondered when he would see the older man again. He was aware they kind of arranged a second date for Sunday, but it was only Wednesday. Would he see him before Sunday?

Yugi didn't know why he was so interested in the older man. He barely knew anything about him, but yet he went so far as to get him out of jail. True, it hadn't been fair that Anzu called the cops on him, and Yugi had felt a little guilty. But, why did he care? Why was he so concerned about a stranger?

It was just a mystery to him. Yugi shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. He needed to get Yami out of his mind. It was just a distraction, and that was the last thing Yugi needed at the moment. He found himself outside the Mazaki diner, and pushed open the door, barely registering the small ring of a bell.

"Yugi?" Anzu said, from behind the counter. From the looks of it, she had just opened up the restaurant and wasn't expecting any of her co-workers to show up for sometime. She glanced down at a wrist-watch and furrowed her brows. "You're early. You're not scheduled to start for another two hours."

"I know, Anzu. But, I thought I could start early. Maybe help you with the morning cleanup?"

"Well," Anzu said, sighing, "you're already here. Might as well put you to work." She smiled.

"Arigato, Anzu. Thank you."

"Get into uniform and you can start wiping down some tables. We're going to have a busy day ahead of us."

Yugi nodded, and ran to the back of the restaurant, stripping out of his sweats and into his work clothes. He took the time to sniff the clean fabric, inhaling it because it smelled sweet. Feeling a soft smile come to his lips, Yugi grabbed some rags and a bucket of water and went to work.

He became engrossed in it, scrubbing the tables, wiping down the old grim and food stains, that when the diner actually opened two hours later, Yugi was not aware. Time seemed to have slowed down for him, and when he realized what time it was, he threw aside the bucket and rags and went to a table, where he resumed his job as a waiter.

-0-0-0-0-

It was nearing sunset when Yugi left work and headed to the small market. It was crowded, and Yugi found himself having to fight through the aisles to get the food he needed. His small basket was already full of eggs and milk, and he was working hard to get the TV meals that made up the majority of his and Joey's diet. The small hole-in-the-wall store was far more crowded than Yugi anticipated for the late hour, and was having a difficult time getting his small frame past the larger people. It made what should've been a simple, everyday task, a complete and utter nuisance.

After finally making to his desired aisle, Yugi found himself with another problem. The shelves were much higher than what he was used too, and he struggled to reach the food. He found himself on his tiptoes, reaching as high as his arm would go and he still couldn't reach it.

Out of nowhere, a hand reached just above Yugi's and grabbed the object Yugi was aiming for.

"Need some help?"

"Ah, arigato." Yugi murmured, turning around. He was surprised to see Yami standing in front of him, holding the box. "Yami?"

Yami smiled and handed the food over to the shorter boy. "I was out walking and I saw you walk in here. I figured I might as well say hi."

Yugi stuck the box into his basket and frowned. "So, you're stalking me now?"

Yami's face flushed and he shook his head vigorously. "No, no! Where would you come up such an idea?"

"It's kinda obvious…" Yugi said matter-of-factly. "You're not from this part of town. And, what reason would there be for you to solicit around here, all hours of the day?" Yugi and Yami began to wander down the aisles, hardly paying attention to the people around them. "The only explanation is that you wanted to see me."

Yami found himself impressed by Yugi's deductions. They were completely true, but Yami didn't want to make the boy afraid of him. He was still concerned about how fast Yugi ran out on their date yesterday. He believed Yugi when he said he needed to make it home before Joey, but for some reason, Yami couldn't help but think there was another reason Yugi ran out, looking as though he'd seen a ghost.

"You are right."

"About what?"

"Everything. I don't live in this area. My home is in the north part of town. And, I have been waiting to see you."

Yugi found an embarrassed smile growing on his face. He didn't know what to make of the attention Yami seemed to be giving him. He hadn't had someone talk to him like that since….

Yugi stopped the thought there. He knew how that began, and he especially knew how it ended. What if Yami was just like him? Yami seemed like a really nice man, but then again, so did Jack.

Ever since his experience with Jack, Yugi couldn't say he trusted people the same. The kinds of wounds Jack left on his body, and his mind, just ran too deep. They weren't the kind that could easily heal up overnight. Even now, almost a year later, they were still fresh in his mind, replaying over and over again.

Yami noticed the sudden change in Yugi's demeanor and became concerned. "Yugi, are you okay?"

"Uh," the smaller boy said softly, before nodding his head, "yeah. Sorry, I was just thinking about something." He tried to fake a smile, but he couldn't make it convincing. It felt foreign on his face, like it didn't belong.

"Is it something you want to talk about?"

"No." Yugi said, almost yelling. When he realized how loud he was, he clamped a hand against his mouth and stopped in his tracks. He let the defensive barrier build up around him. He saw Yami's concerned eye piercing at him, and Yugi felt as though he were standing in front of him naked, exposed.

Fighting back hot tears that threatened to fall, Yugi shut his eyes tight. "I'm sorry." He whispered, so low it could barely be heard.

"Yugi…" Yami said slowly, reaching out to the other boy. His hand touched the back of Yugi's head and the smaller boy flinched violently, inhaling a gasp of air. Yami saw the boy trembling before him.

'What the hell is wrong with him?' Yami thought, furrowing his eyebrows.

Yugi opened his eyes and they were flooded with tears. He tried to speak, but couldn't form the words. He couldn't get his voice out; it was trapped inside him, deep down. Instead, he looked at Yami and mouthed the words, 'I'm sorry'.

"You have nothing to be sorry for, Yugi." Yami said quietly, trying to comfort the boy. Inside, he was cursing himself. He had pried again and now he had apparently brought back some unwanted memories. He had been the one to bring out the tears, and knowing he had hurt the smaller boy, hurt him.

"I have to go." Yugi whispered, his voice was rough and hoarse.

It was late and the sun was starting to set. Yami felt his chest tighten. What if Yugi tried to commit suicide again? What if he got into an accident on his way home? "I'll drive you home." Yami said, a bit demanding.

"Please," Yugi begged, "I just really need to be alone right now."

"Yugi, it's late and dark. I'll be damned if I let you go by yourself."

Yugi shook his head adamantly, taking a few steps back. "If Joey sees you…"

"I don't care if Joey sees me." Yami said, clenching his fists. "Besides, he's going to have to know sometime. You don't honestly think you can't keep us a secret forever, right?"

"No, but," Yugi looked down on the floor, "I'd prefer to keep it as long as I can."

"Yugi, please. Just let me drive you home."

Yugi sighed in defeat. "Fine. But, you have to let me enter the building by myself. No following me inside where Joey can see you."

Yami didn't like it. Yugi still could get hurt by walking inside his apartment by himself. But, Yami supposed Yugi did it almost every day, so it seemed childish to follow him around all the time. Besides, Yugi agreed to the ride, and walking down the streets was where he was most likely to get into trouble.

"Deal." Yami said.

Yugi nodded and turned around. He started walking towards the checkout, and bought all his food. Yami noticed a quick change in Yugi's demeanor when the cashier told him the total, but it seemed to vanish as quickly as it had appeared and therefore Yami thought nothing of it.

Yugi followed the older man into his red car and sat quietly in the passenger's seat.

"I'm sorry about yesterday." Yugi muttered, avoiding eye contact.

"It's nothing. I understand." Yami said, driving down the dark road. "Now is not the best time for your friends to know. We have to give it some time ourselves."

Yugi nodded. Slowly, Yami pulled up to the curb of Yugi's apartment and put the car in park. "Here we are. You sure you don't me to walk up with you?"

"I'll be fine." Yugi said, slightly annoyed, but he tried to mask it. He reached for the small, plastic bags and wrapped them tightly around his wrist. "Thanks for the ride, Yami. I really appreciate it."

"Glad I could talk you into it." Silently to himself, Yami couldn't help but think, 'I'd do anything to stop you from ending up dead on the streets.'

Yugi exited the car and slammed the door shut. He smiled and waved good-bye, and then turned around and began to run up the flight of stairs that rested on the side of the building. Yami watched him carefully, not satisfied until he saw Yugi enter the door that was his apartment.

Yami sat there on the edge for several more moments, unsure of what to think. There was something odd about the young boy. He seemed to have sudden mood swings. One moment he could be cheery and outgoing, and the next he was quiet and introverted. Yami couldn't think of anything to explain it. He wasn't a physiologist, but to Yami it was evident Yugi suffered from some kind of emotional trauma.

What was it? And was there anything he could to help heal the broken boy? Sighing, Yami put his car into drive and pulled out of the parking space, driving out of the Red Light Zone and back to his own apartment.

-0-0-0-0-0-

**I should probably give Yugi a break…but what fun would that be? **

** Please review this crappy fic of mine? **


	8. Tournament

**I haven't been getting much response on this story as of late…are people enjoying it? **

** Sage: No.**

** Is anyone reading this?**

** Sage: No.**

** A lot of people have been adding this to their favorites, but I want some feedback. I want people to tell me what they like and don't like about this. It's hard to get motivated to write if no one is enjoying it.**

** Sage: *groans* Ra, can't you just shut up already?**

-0-0-0-0-0-

"Why do you play with these cards?" Jack asked, his tone was harsh and demeaning.

Yugi was trying hard to fight back the tears that threatened to fall. He had only wanted to show Jack his treasured collection of duel monsters. He didn't necessarily believe that the older man would like the game, but he at least expected that he would respect Yugi's love for it. He hadn't. Jack had ripped the cards out of Yugi's hands. It was a wonder he didn't tear them in half with that motion.

"My…my grandfather taught me." Yugi managed to say, despite the tightness of his throat. Jack towered above him, holding the deck above his head, taunting him. He wanted Yugi to jump for it, to beg for the cards back as the bullies in the past had often done so.

But there was a difference between Jack and the bullies Yugi often had to face. The bullies would often get bored rather quickly, and had no need for the cards they had taken from Yugi. After a few moments, they would give them back and walk away without another word.

But Jack…there was something about the way Jack looked at him. Something in the man's icy blue eyes that told Yugi this was going to be a different encounter. Jack wasn't going to get bored and concede. He was incredibly stubborn, and if there was something he wanted, he got it.

"Is that why you hold onto these?" Jack said, scoffing. "Because they're nothing more than a reminder of your old life? Yugi, you should know better. Your life is with me now. It's time to let go and forget the past. And everything that comes with it."

He turned the cards onto their side and wrapped both thumbs and forefingers around the edge. Yugi's eyes widened as he realized what Jack was going to do. His old school ground bullies had never ripped his cards.

But here was the man that was supposed to love him, about to destroy the last connection Yugi had with his grandfather, and with his old life. "Jack, no!" Yugi begged, trying desperately to jump for his beloved cards. They weren't just paint on paper. The cards were his friends. During his lonely nights when he had no one to talk too, he would lay the cards out across his bedspread and he would speak to them.

He knew it sounded silly, but the cards listened to him. The cards respected him. He was supposed to be a duelist. He was supposed to fight for what's right. What kind of duelist was he if he just stood there and watched his precious friends be destroyed in front of him?

Feeling a power surge through him that he had never felt before, Yugi managed to jump up high enough to grab onto Jack's forearm. The older man cried out in surprise and, as a reflex, he dropped Yugi's deck. The cards fell into a messy pile on the floor, but Yugi didn't care. They were safe and that's all that mattered. Yugi let go of Jack's arm and fell onto the floor, just centimeters away from his scattered deck.

Yugi scrambled to organize the deck, when a dark shadow loomed over him. Yugi swallowed, fearful, before looking up at Jack. He could see anger in the man's eyes, but there was also disappointment.

"Fine." He spat spitefully. "If you want to be a child and play with those stupid cards, be my guest." He turned around and went for the apartment door, grabbing a tan jacket off the adjacent coat rack and hastily put it on. "I'm getting a beer."

He opened the door and stomped out, slamming it as he exited.

Yugi sighed sadly, but thumbed through his cards. They were all safe. His nighttime friends were safe and in one piece, and as Yugi held the deck of cards to his heart, he swore that he could feel emotions spilling from them.

They were grateful. They were cheerful. But they were also sad and worried.

'Who are you worried for you?' Yugi thought mindlessly. But then his thoughts clicked together and he gasped. 'Oh no.'

Jack had gone out for a drink.

His cards were worried for him.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-

They were having another secret meeting. This time it was inside an alley way just a few blocks down from Yugi's work. It was quiet and Yugi knew he wouldn't have to worry about Joey or Anzu finding them. He and Yami had been having meetings this for the past few weeks now. It was almost a daily occurrence and the more time Yugi spent with Yami, the more he liked him.

Yami was not only kind and smart, but also respectful, which came in handy when the issue of Yugi's past came up. Yugi could see it in the older man's eyes—he was curious about the past. But, he also respected Yugi's privacy and never pressed the issue. Yugi almost wanted to tell Yami about the pain he had endured over the last few years. Both the emotional and the physical. The older man had always listened to anything he had to say with two ears, and never seemed bored by anything Yugi said.

But, there was a part of Yugi that was scared to tell Yami. How would the older man react when he learned that Yugi was nothing but a broken toy? He didn't want to make things awkward between them, especially when things had been going so well. Yugi thought he might actually love Yami, and he thought that Yami might love him. He adored the way Yami looked at him when they spoke, and Yami's deep voice seemed to have a way of comforting him no matter how upset he was.

"So…" Yami said, leaning against the red brick wall. Yugi was standing in front of him, staring with interest. "My cousin is working on organizing this tournament. He wants to try out his newest model of a duel disc, and thought that a duel monsters tournament would be the best way to do it."

Yugi's mouth fell open slightly and his eyes lit up. "Wait…duel disc? As in the Kaiba Corporation?"

"Well…yes. Seto Kaiba is my cousin. Didn't I mention this already?"

Yugi shook his head, but his eyes were still glowing.

"Oh…I'm sorry. What do you know about him?"

Yugi let out a small laugh. "Only that he's the world champion! I've watched all his duels, kept track of his entire deck! I know his entire strategy, I could recite it!"

Yami smiled at the joy in Yugi's face, but he couldn't help but feel a pang of jealously. Yugi knew a lot about his cousin…it bothered but he didn't know why. Seto Kaiba was a household name, especially here in Japan. Not only did he have the world's best technology, but he was an idol for all duelists around the World. Of course Yugi would know about him; he dueled. Yami remembered when Yugi told him about his love for the game. It had made telling Yugi where he worked all the more special.

He had gone back to work since he met Yugi. His weeks of vacation just ran out, but he still made time to see the younger boy. Yami returned to work, but he still tried not to talk to Kaiba. Ever since the jail phone call, things between the two were harsh. If they had to talk, it was only about business, and both parties involved tried to make the conversation as quick as possible.

"You sure are a fan."

Yugi nodded excitedly. "My grandfather owned a Game Shop, so I was always surrounded by Duel Monsters. But, there's a difference between just playing the game with friends, and actually being a duelist! It was seeing Kaiba duel on TV one day that made me really get into the game!"

"I guess you want to go then."

"I'd love to go! I haven't dueled since Ja—" Yugi froze. He hadn't been paying that much attention to his words and almost allowed something he didn't want said to slip out. "I haven't dueled in a long time." Yugi corrected himself, but it was obvious that Yami had caught the slip up. The older man wouldn't say anything of course, but Yugi swore he could see pain in his eyes because he wouldn't tell him something.

"It's this Saturday. I figured we could meet by your work, and then I'd take you there." Yami tried to steer the conversation further, but it didn't appear to be working. He knew he heard something come out of Yugi's mouth. It was only half a word, but it seemed to traumatize the teen. Yami was curious about what Yugi was afraid of, but when he repeated the sentence, this time changing the ending, Yami figured it was another taboo that he should avoid. He wouldn't press the issue if Yugi didn't want to talk about it.

But that didn't mean he didn't want to know what Yugi was going to say. It almost sounded like a name. But, Yami figured it would do no good to dwell into it. He respected Yugi's privacy, no matter how curious he was.

"That…sounds good." Yugi said shyly, turning his eyes downward. "I have to go. Joey will be worried if I'm not home soon." He began to back out the alley, keeping his eyes on Yami. "I'm really excited for the tournament! It'll be good to get to use my deck again."

Yami nodded, but said nothing. He was observing Yugi, noting how once again he seemed to have completely changed personality. Just one moment ago, he was happy and bubbly. Then, in an instant, he reverted back to the self-conscious, introverted person Yami saw the first day at the diner. There was no reason for him to be having that rapid of mood swings.

Yami couldn't help but continue to think that Yugi suffered from some physiological disorder. He had done some research here and there, but he couldn't find anything that could be a sound diagnosis. For a while Yami thought Yugi could possibly suffer from Multiply Personality Disorder, but that would mean Yugi would have terribly memory. He did have the occasional lapse every now and then, but it didn't match anything he read about.

Then, Yami looked to Bipolar Disorder. It seemed likely, at least more likely than anything else he could find, but it still didn't seem to fit. It wasn't just simple depression Yugi suffered from. There was something more to it than that. There was something running deep inside Yugi's mind that caused the mood swings.

Yugi turned around and ran out the alleyway, turning a corner and running back home. Yami stood there quietly by himself for a moment, allowing himself to get lost in his thoughts. Yugi was special to him. Yami was sure he loved him. So, it hurt to know that there were pieces of his past he was too embarrassed or scared to talk about. Yami wanted to do everything in his power to help Yugi, but it seemed that the more he pushed the bigger of a wall Yugi put up.

Yami sighed. He loved Yugi and would give the boy all the time in the World to get comfortable with telling Yami what he was bothering him. But, Yami hoped that just because he gave Yugi all the time in the World, that he wouldn't need all the time in the World.

A crack of thunder boomed above Yami's head. The dark clouds were starting to cover all of the South side of Domino. Exhaling deeply, Yami made his way to his car, hoping to get home before the rain fell.

-0-0-0-0-0-

Joey saw Yugi enter the apartment, humming happily to himself. Joey had to look up from his copy of the newspaper, and couldn't help but smile. He didn't know what it was, or what had been going on these last few weeks, but Yugi seemed to be happy. Joey hadn't seen Yugi happy like that in so long, and it filled a hole in the blonde's heart. Part of Joey really wanted to know what the sudden change in Yugi's life had been. The younger boy went to work almost each day and then he came home, so it had to have been something that changed at the diner.

But, another part of Joey warned him against it. It was still early and he was afraid that if it mentioned Yugi's sudden change in mood, he would destroy it.

Yugi was humming the song 'No Matter What' and he sat in the other chair, looking at Joey. "Hey, Joey." He said, smiling. Joey returned the smile—Yugi was giving him one he hadn't seen in a long time.

"You seem awfully happy." Joey commented, though he wasn't going to press the issue further. He figured he would let Yugi know he noticed the change, but he wouldn't do any more than that unless Yugi seemed to expand on the topic.

"I do?"

Joey nodded. "These last few weeks, I've noticed a change for the better in your mood. It's like old times."

Yugi let out a small laugh. "Well, I can't think of anything that could cause it. Nothing in my life has changed."

"Maybe you're just getting better."

"Maybe. I'm going to take a shower." Yugi stood from the chair and walked over to the bathroom, locking it securely behind him. Once the water had started, Yugi sighed. He had lied to Joey again. For some reason he had become really good at it over these past few weeks. Once upon a time, Joey could see through the smallest white lie he tried to weave. Now, he was spewing lie after lie and Joey didn't seem to notice.

Yugi didn't know he had become such a good liar lately. Maybe he was still a crappy liar and Joey hadn't just been paying that much attention lately. That seemed more likely that anything Yugi could think of.

Had he really been happier these last few weeks? He hadn't noticed any changer in himself. But, he did find himself thinking more and more of Yami, and something about the thought of the older man seemed to erase any thoughts of anger and sadness. Could it be that Yami was the reason he was happier? It had to be, but Yugi still wasn't convinced that he was acting any different. After all, he ran away from Yami today almost in tears because he almost slipped up in what he said, and that would've lead to some questions he didn't want to deal with.

Yugi stepped into the shower and allowed the hot water to clean his skin. He could see the dirt streaks being washed away and down the drain. He allowed his thoughts to wander as he stood there, only focusing on the sound of rushing water.

He felt his heart pumping at the thought of the tournament. He hadn't thought about duel monsters in a long time. He hadn't touched his cards since Jack told him the game was for babies. Yugi was lucky that Jack didn't tear up the cards like he feared. Instead, he only hid them underneath his bed, and Yugi found it several weeks later. Since then, he had kept them hidden under his bed, and when he moved in with Joey, his deck moved too.

He would have to look over his deck and try to remember his old strategy. Even if he didn't play anyone, it would be good just to touch them again. He had never dueled completively. Instead, he mostly stayed to playing with Joey and Anzu, and the occasional classmate. Yugi wondered what it would be like to play against real winners. Maybe he could even play against Seto Kaiba! Of course he wouldn't win; Kaiba was the World Champion and he was nothing more than a novice player. Still, Kaiba was a role model to him, and it would be wonderful just to get to meet him. He still couldn't believe that Yami was related to the world's youngest, most powerful CEO. It seemed too good to be true. Yugi still didn't quite understand what it was Yami did-it involved a lot of statistics, he knew that. But, having just barely passed algebra, Yugi found it hard to follow along.

For some reason, he thought he was forgetting something important. It seemed to do with the tournament, but no matter how deep Yugi dug into his memory, he couldn't find anything. He was sure that today was the first he had heard of the tournament. At least he hoped so. But, it wasn't going to do him any good trying to worry about things he couldn't remember, or that didn't happen. The big thing would be trying to get past Joey.

Thankfully Yugi could get that day off, and Joey would be at work, so it shouldn't be that big of a problem. Yugi had been successfully sneaking around Joey and Anzu these last few days, and neither of them knew anything about him and Yami. He still didn't know where the sudden lying skills came from, but they had been in handy these last few weeks.

Yugi turned off the water and stepped out of the shower, throwing a towel over his hair and drying it vigorously before wrapping it around his waist. He went over to the vanity where he stood in front of the mirror. He spotted the pink scar on his eye and touched it, self-conscious. It was one of his many trophies from the year he spent with Jack. It was also the one he hated most. Even after all this time, it still looked the same as it did when it had first been inflicted. It was noticeable by almost everyone and occasionally would begin to throb, giving Yugi a migraine.

"Yugi, are you done?" Joey's voice came from the other side of the door.

Yugi nodded, even though he was the only person in the room. "Yeah, I'm done." He sighed and turned away from his reflection.

-0-0-0-0-

Later that night, Yugi sat on his bedroom floor with all his cards laid out in front of him. He stared at the variety of his deck, and would occasionally pick some up and lay them on top of other cards, trying to remember the effects of magic and trap cards.

"Magic cylinder…" He murmured to himself as he picked up the trap card, "reflect one of your opponent's attacks back at them as a direct attack." He placed the card down as he picked up a different one. "Dark hole…" The card had a green background with a picture of a large, black mass that appeared to be spiraling downwards. "Destroys all monsters on the field."

Yugi would agree that he didn't have the strongest monsters, but he did have a powerful deck. Strength wasn't just about having a monster with the highest attack point. If you didn't back it up, or protect it with spell cards, then it was useless. True strength was about using your weaker monsters, and making them stronger with strategy and respect.

Out of the corner of his eye, Yugi spotted a monster card lying on the floor. He cautiously picked it up and smiled. It was a picture of a small, brown fluff ball with large eyes and green claws. "Kuriboh." Yugi said aloud. It only had 300 attack points, and was often referred to as the weakest monster in the entire game, but Yugi knew that Kuriboh had a secret strength. No monster was completely useless, as most people thought. Most people would have thrown out the card, but then they would not know of how powerful this monster really was.

"I'll put you in my deck, and I'll show them your power." Yugi said to the card, talking to it like it was an old friend. "We have to teach them a lesson, don't we? About having the heart of a true duelist. About respecting your monsters. I don't think people can't ignore you, or making fun of you any further when they see how hard we play together. Even if we don't win, at least we can try to show some people the true meaning of the game."

Yugi smiled. This card had extreme sentimental value to him. It had been one of the first cards his grandfather gave to him. The elder man had used this card to teach Yugi about the effects of different monsters, and how just because a monster how low attack points, does not make it weak. Yugi collected all his cards at once, putting them back into a deck. He set it on the ground in front of him and stared at it for a while.

He was ready.

-0-0-0-0-0-

**I'm putting this story on a short hiatus. I want to try and finish this story beforehand. I already have the next few chapters written, and there are several more chapters to this story, but I want to finish it just so I have some peace of mind.**

** Even if I don't get any more response, I'll feel more motivated to update and finish if it's already written. **


	9. Seto Kaiba

**I'd like to make one thing clear: I did not, at any time this chapter was at work, have dream sex with Kaiba.**

**Kaiba: Seto Kaiba only has dream sex with himself!**

**Sage:….Forever alone. **

**Indeed. I don't own Yugioh. I am only borrowing the characters and I plan to return them with only mild to moderate emotional scarring. XD **

-0-0-0-0-0-

Yugi had his dueling deck tucked securely inside his jean pocket. He patted it, feeling a sense of warmth and nostalgia run through him. Today was the day of the tournament, and though he doubted he would actually win any duels, it would be nice just to spend the day with Yami. Yugi put on his blue coat, thankful that it covered his pockets. He didn't need Joey seeing the rather large obstruction in his pocket and start asking questions.

Speaking of Joey…Yugi opened his bedroom door quietly, wincing as the door creaked. Joey was still in the living room, wearing his bellhop uniform. He would be leaving for work momentarily, and once he was gone, Yugi would feel safe enough to leave the apartment and met Yami down the block.

It was a large nuisance having to run around his friends' backs. He hated having to go to such lengths to meet Yami. Yugi hated having to lie to them, even though it was becoming almost a daily occurrence now. But he sighed. He knew his friends wouldn't understand if he was honest with them. They were blinded by their devotion, and they would rationalize that they were doing the right thing by trying to keep the two boys separate.

Besides, they still thought Yami was in jail, even though neither one of them had mentioned the older man since the incident with the police and the diner. Yugi figured that they thought he had forgotten everything to do with the man. It was a possible, after all, even though it was far from the truth. But, what his friends didn't know, wouldn't hurt them. Yugi couldn't keep lying to them forever. He knew that eventually he would have to come clean, he just hoped it wouldn't be anytime soon.

He had to wait until a time when Joey and Anzu were more lenient, where they could trust the people around him better. Yugi understood that they did what they did only out of love, but the constant smothering was annoying.

The only other option was to wait until he was eighteen, and Joey was no longer his legal guardian. Honestly, it wouldn't give Yugi much more freedom. He'd still have to share an apartment with Joey. Yugi was a realist. He knew that with his current job there was no way he could manage to live on his own. But maybe being considered an adult by society and the law would open the eyes of his friends and make them see that he was old enough to make certain decisions by himself.

Yugi sighed and closed his eyes. He was going to try and clear his mind of his worries. Today was supposed to be a fun day. He wasn't going to let his mind wander over things he probably didn't have to worry about. Yugi peered out the door again and saw that Joey was no longer there. He had left for work during the time that Yugi was stuck in his thoughts.

Smiling to himself, Yugi left his bedroom and ran out the front door. The metal stairs of his apartment clanged underneath his feet. He let his hand run down the railing, not paying mind to his footing. He had walked down this staircase hundreds of time and had each step memorized. Once Yugi finally reached the end, he jumped down and began to walk down the street.

It wasn't very busy for a Sunday morning. Most people would be sleeping in still, or maybe they were at church, even though Japan wasn't a religious country. Yugi walked at a regular pace, looking for his companion. He and Yami never planned on a certain meeting point, but Yugi knew that he was around here somewhere.

Yugi passed by an old alleyway between two buildings. He wasn't paying any mind and almost had walked by it without a second thought had he not heard someone call his name.

Yugi stopped and turned around, retracing his steps. He passed by the alley again, this time looking into it. He saw Yami standing there, wearing his classic smirk. Seeing the sight of the older man brought a smile to his face. He ran over to Yami, ready to start the day.

"I was afraid you had forgotten about me." Yami teased, which earned an annoyed eye roll from Yugi.

"I couldn't forget about you. Despite what my friends think, you are very much etched into my memory."

Yami smiled. "Do you have your deck?"

Yugi nodded, patting his pocket that held his cards. "They're in here."

"Perfect. Let's get started." Yami began to walk away and Yugi followed him out of the alley and into the street. "The hotel where Seto is holding the tournament is only a few blocks from here. I figure we could walk. It'd give us more time together anyway."

Yugi nodded, happy with anything. He wasn't that uptight about things like that. He walked most everywhere anyways, so it was only the natural thing for him to do. He never really liked cars that much recently anyways. He had a habit of becoming claustrophobic in a small, confined space like a car recently.

He had only taken Yami's offer on a ride home the last few times because the older man had either been so persistent it got irritating, or it was raining and Yugi had no interest in walking the several blocks.

This time, it was relaxing to walk with Yami. The sun was shining brightly, warming up Yugi's skin. The warmth felt good on Yugi's skin. It reminded him of the summer days he would spend in the park with his grandfather, or his friends.

It was just a nostalgic feeling he had. Like one a person will have when they see an old show they used to watch as a child.

"Is something on your mind?" Yami suddenly said, bringing Yugi out of his thoughts. "You seem distracted."

Yugi's eyes widened before he shook his head. "I'm sorry. I was just thinking."

"About what?" Yami asked, the curiosity in his voice was evident.

"Nothing really. Just the sun."

Yami looked up to see the bright star in the sky. It's rays were an array of reds, yellows, and oranges. Every now and then Yami would even catch a hint of blue, but that could have been due to the fact that he was staring at the sun. It was a pretty sight; the way the sun rose up high in the crystal blue sky. He could see why it would be relaxing to look at for a little bit.

"We're here." Yami said, smiling as he stretched out his arm to the hotel where they would be spending their afternoon.

Yugi looked up a large smile on his face. His eyes went to where Yami was pointing at. It all happened in an instant. Yami watched as the smile on his face disappeared, and the look of happiness in Yugi's eyes was replaced by a look of intense.

Yami felt panicked. Was Yugi having another mood swing on him?

"We can't go in here." He whispered. His voice was soft and raspy and Yami could see him visibly trembling.

Yami looked over his shoulder back at the building. Nothing looked odd about it. It had a red brick exterior with several windows on the front side. It didn't have a descriptive name. On the front in large letters it simply read 'Motel'. It was a modest little building. It didn't seem like the kind of place where a large tournament would be held, but then again, Kaiba never was one to follow the rule book.

But why was Yugi afraid to go in there?

"We can't go in there." Yugi repeated, gritting his teeth.

Yami sighed. Yugi was probably just overreacting. Maybe he was just scared of having to duel against other people after so long. Yami reached out and grabbed Yugi's wrist, and he walked slowly to the front doors, feeling Yugi's resistance behind him.

"Yami, listen to me!" Yugi pleaded, trying to pry Yami's grip off of him. It didn't hurt, but he didn't want to get any closer to the all too familiar building.

"What is so wrong with this place that you can't go inside it?" Yami demanded, annoyed. He turned back to look at Yugi, slightly angry at the boy's irrational fear. He regretted it at once though when he saw tears forming at the corners of Yugi's eyes.

"Joey works here." Yugi muttered, but Yami was able to hear it. He swallowed a lump in his throat as he turned to look back at the building.

Joey was Yugi's friend, but he was too scared for the well-being of the smaller teen to think straight. What would happen if Joey saw them together? He hadn't been too nice during their first encounter, and now thanks to the arrest, Yami didn't think things would magically go over smoothly. He gritted his own teeth, angry at himself for not having dug into Joey's history. Knowing something like where the kid worked would be helpful.

But, Joey and Yugi were roommates. Yami thought that Joey should have told Yugi about the tournament. Yugi should have already had knowledge about this.

"Did Joey not tell you?" Yami said, trying his best to be compassionate.

Yugi shook his head and bit his lip. "I-I don't think so….I mean, I don't remember."

Yami mentally cursed. Yugi had another memory lapse. He had a few during the weeks he and Yami had been dating. But, none of them had consequences like this. What would Joey do, or say, when he saw the two of them together? Yami didn't want to push Yugi out of his comfort zone, but he also wanted to spend the day with the young teen. Frankly, he was getting sick and annoyed of Yugi allowing his friends to control his life. It was something that needed to be stopped, and now.

"Well," Yami said, trying his best to give Yugi a reassuring smile, "I guess now's the time when we reveal ourselves to your friends."

Yugi shook his head vigorously. They couldn't reveal themselves to Joey! Joey would find out that Yugi had been lying to him for weeks now. How would the blonde feel when the truth was revealed to him? He wouldn't trust Yugi ever again. And Yugi couldn't forgive himself for betraying the friendship he shared with Joey.

But, Yami still tugged on his arm and Yugi found himself following the older man. He didn't want too. He didn't want to go to this tournament anymore, not if it meant having to explain everything to Joey. He wasn't ready yet. He couldn't do it.

"It'll be okay, Yugi." Yami tried his best to comfort. "If they are truly your friends, then they will understand."

Yugi wanted to believe Yami, but he knew that it was a useless dream. Joey's anger and overprotectiveness would blind him. Yugi knew that whatever happened in there would not be something good.

They entered the building and found it to be extremely crowded. There were dozens of tables lined up with people already fighting against each other. They would call out each attack, each summon, and many of them were laughing.

Yugi smiled. These people were having fun, playing with friends. They weren't treating this like a tournament, but instead like school ground game between friends. Yugi placed his hand over his pocket and could feel the energy coming from his deck. He had spent many hours putting it together when he was younger. Each card sentimental value to him, even if nobody else could see their power. He wanted to show off what love and care for your cards could do. He wanted to show people the true importance of having a duelist's heart.

"Who is this?"

Yugi turned around to face the direction the voice had been coming from. He was surprised to see Seto Kaiba standing only a few feet in front of him, his arms crossed against his chest.

Yugi smiled, feeling a little star struck. Seto Kaiba was his idol. He never imagined that he would get to meet the dueling champion.

"This is my friend, Yugi." Yami said wearily. Yugi looked up and could see anger in Yami's eyes as he stared at his cousin. It was obvious there was some tension between the two, and Yugi wondered where it came from. They were family, weren't they? Family was supposed to be kind to one another, to care for each other. The looks the cousins were giving each other showed that somehow they managed to severe that family tie. It looked like they wanted absolutely nothing to do with each other.

Seto snorted. "Is this the kid that landed you in jail, Sennen?" He closed his eyes and smirked. "It looks like you two really belong together. Two losers, the world is in balance."

Yami growled, and Yugi found himself hurt by Kaiba's words. Why would the CEO say something so rude when he didn't even know him? What right did he have to insult a stranger, and his own cousin?

"Kaiba," Yami said, his tone darkening, "I did not come here to listen to you insult me. I get paid for that."

Kaiba's eyes darkened at the statement.

"I do not care what you say to me, but you will not talk that way to Yugi. We came here to participate in the tournament. Nothing more, nothing less. All we ask is that you leave us alone."

"Yugi?" Came another voice, an all too familiar voice. Yugi swallowed a lump in his throat and turned to face Joey, who was running towards him.

"Yugi, what are you doing here?" Joey's eyes looked away from Yugi for a moment and they landed on Yami. The anger that flashed inside the blonde's eyes for that spilt second sent shivers down Yugi's spine. "And why the hell are you with this bastard?"

"Joey…this is Yami." Yugi said, trying to keep his voice calm and steady. But he couldn't help but wince at the sound of his own voice failing him, cracking and stuttering.

"What the hell are you doing with him?"

"Please, Joey, let me explain!" Yugi tried to calm down his friend, but deep down he knew it was useless. He had seen that look in Joey's eyes before, and it was never a good sign.

"Allow me." Yami said, stepping in. If anyone was going to have to deal with Joey, it was only fair that it be him. He was the one who had wanted to meet Yugi. He was the one who was going to take the anger of the friends.

"You bastard." Joey growled through his teeth as his fists clenched. "I told you to stay away from him!" He brought up a fist and was throwing it towards when at the last moment it was caught. Joey looked up to see Kaiba holding his fists firmly in the palm of his hand, frowning.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Kaiba warned, sneering. "Assaulting one of my employees will get your ass shipped to jail faster than you can bark, dog."

Yami felt something in his heart. Kaiba did care about him. He wouldn't have stopped that punch if he didn't. Yami smiled slightly, despite the situation.

"Dog? Who are you calling a dog?" Joey yelled, attracting attention.

"You're nothing but a simple, disposable, bell hop." Kaiba smiled sadistically. "You're as low as they come."

"Some of us actually have to work for a living, rich boy! Not all of us have the pleasure of being born into a world of money!"

Yami silently gasped at that statement. He knew the truth about Seto's childhood, about his adoptive father. Yami remembered that Seto and Mokuba were sent to an orphanage after his parents died because no one in the family could take both of the brothers, and Seto refused for them to be separated.

Kaiba had been adopted, but by a cruel man who had abused him daily. Kaiba had taken over the company of that man after he died, and that's how he came into the money. Kaiba had been born into a family of normal social status.

"You have no idea what you're talking about, mutt. Just go back to attending your fleas." Kaiba shoved Joey to the ground and started to walk away, but he was surprised to see Yugi standing in front of him, his arms outstretched.

"You're not going anywhere." The smaller teen said through his teeth.

Seto smirked, finding this amusing. This kid thought he stood a chance against someone twice his height? "And why is that?" He said, deciding to play along. If this kid wanted to get his butt handed to him on a silver platter, Kaiba would gladly volunteer.

"Nobody hurts my friends." Yugi said, glaring. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his dueling deck. He held it out in front of him for Kaiba to see. "For Joey's honor. I challenge you to a duel."

Yami's eyes widened. Had Yugi gone insane? Kaiba was the world champion! Nobody had ever beaten him before, not even the country champions from around the world! How was Yugi, a kid from the ghetto, supposed to stand a chance?

Yami was about to intervene when he saw something in Yugi's eyes. He had never seen it before, and it looked foreign in the eyes that almost always showed fear and insecurity. His eyes showed determination. Pure determination. He really wanted to duel Kaiba.

Yami took a step back. He couldn't interfere. Yugi had come to this tournament to duel, and that was exactly what he was going to do.

"You want to duel me?" Kaiba said, and then he laughed. "Do you have any idea what you're up against, kid? I could destroy you in one move."

"Then you have nothing to be afraid of."

Joey stood to his feet, holding a now bloody nose. He growled. "Kick his ass, Yugi! Show him what you got!"

Yami found himself impressed with Joey's support. For the moment it seemed that the blonde had completely forgotten about him. Right then, Joey's eyes looked over in his direction. They still showed anger and hate, but he said nothing.

Yami swallowed a lump in his throat. He was going to have to deal with Joey later, he realized that. But for now, he would have to see his friend get destroyed in a game of duel monsters by his cousin. There was no way Yugi could win, not with the cards Kaiba had in his deck. Not even Yami had even beaten Kaiba before.

"Alright, kid." Kaiba said. "Prepare for the worst beating of your life."

-0-0-0-0-0-

**Oh poop. Now I have to write a duel. Oh well.**

**On another note, I have up to chapter 13 written and about half of chapter 14 written. So the hiatus shouldn't last too long. **

**Thanks for your understanding. **


	10. Duel

"If we're going to duel, we're going to do it my way." Kaiba said, his tone demeaning and angry.

Yugi took a small step back at the statement, curious as to what the older teen meant. What did he mean by 'his way'? Was he going to play by certain rules? Was he going to change the game to give him an upper hand? Is that how he got his championship? Was Kaiba nothing but a cheater?

Kaiba grunted and put his briefcase down on the ground, opening it. He brought out two odd looking devices and threw one to Yugi, who barely managed to catch it before it collided with the floor. Yugi studied the device. There was a band on the bottom that was supposed to latch onto his forearm. It had five small squares on the top of it and five slot holes.

"These are my prototypes for the new duel discs. What better time to test them out than right now?" Kaiba smirked as he placed his duel disc on and inserted his deck into the older. "Well? Don't just stand there. Get ready!"

Yugi nodded and inserted his deck into the appropriate hole before placing the duel disc onto his wrist. He had never played with a duel disc before. They still weren't that popular, seeing how not very many people could afford them. Yugi wasn't sure how he was supposed to play with this, but it didn't look that complicated. Besides, if this was what he had to do to earn Joey's honor, he would do it gladly.

Kaiba was laughing inside at the sight of his opponent. How this kid had the balls to challenge him, he did not know. All he was sure of was that this was going to be a quick duel. There was no way this kid was going to last more than a few rounds.

"Let's duel." Kaiba said, drawing his hand set. "I'll go first." He smiled when he saw that he had already drawn one blue eyes white dragon. He was already at a head start. All he needed were the other two blue eyes, plus his polymerization and this kid would be as good as dead.

"I summon Battle Ox, (1700/100) in attack mode!" Kaiba declared. "Since this is the first round, I cannot attack. So you're safe for now." He held out his hand clenched his fists, taunting Yugi. "Come on, kid. Show me what you got!"

Yugi frowned and looked at his hand set. He didn't have anything that could defeat Battle Ox. But he did have something that could protect his life points for a while, giving him time until he could summon a stronger monster. "I play one monster face down in defense mode." Yugi said. He watched in amazement as a holographic image of his face down card appeared before him. It looked so real.

"Taking the defense a little early, aren't we?" Kaiba said as he drew his card. "If you want to surrender, just do it. There's no point in prolonging your pain." Yugi remained silent, ignoring the taunts. Kaiba growled. "Battle Ox, attack his face down monster!"

The image of the brown ox came charging towards Yugi, raising its ax above its head. Yugi wasn't worried because he knew that he would win this fight. The ax came crashing down, tearing the card in two. An image of Yugi's Mystic Elf appeared (800/2000) and Yugi smiled. Mystic Elf's defense was higher than Battle Ox's attack. The difference would be taken from Kaiba's life points.

Kaiba growled as his life points dropped.

**Yugi: 4000**

** Kaiba: 3700**

He had not expected the kid to play such a strong defending monster. Kaiba looked down at his hand. The only card he had in his hand at the moment that could take out the Mystic Elf was his blue eyes. But Kaiba couldn't summon that yet. He needed at least one other monster to sacrifice before he could summon it.

It was Yugi's turn. Yugi drew his card, Death Wolf. It wasn't a strong monster, and wouldn't do much for his defense. "I end my turn." He said.

Kaiba drew his card and pulled one out from his hand. "I summon Saggi the Dark Clown!(600/2200)" Kaiba looked at the card he had drawn and smiled. This was going to go well. "Next, I activate the magic card, Stop Defense!"

He heard Yugi gasp as the card was activated and his Mystic Elf was forced into attack mode.

"Battle Ox, attack his Mystic Elf!"

The ox came charging towards the elf once more, only this time, he would be the victor. Yugi watched as his monster was pixelated and destroyed, along with several of his life points.

"Now, Saggi the Dark Clown, attack his life points directly!"

Yugi saw the clown running towards him and watched in horror as it attacked him. It didn't hurt, but Yugi was now at an extreme disadvantage with life points.

**Yugi: 2500**

** Kaiba: 3700**

Yugi bit his lip as he looked back at his hand. Kaiba's Battle Ox was still the strongest monster on the field, and Yugi had nothing to attack it with. He sighed, seeing one of his cards.

"I summon Giant Soldier of Stone in defense mode. (1300/2000) That ends my turn."

Yugi was thankful that Stop Defense was only a card that lasted one round, otherwise he wouldn't have anything that could stand up to Kaiba's monsters.

Kaiba remained silent as he drew his next card. Another blue eyes. He smirked. As soon as he drew the third one, he would use his polymerization magic card and could special summon his Ultimate Dragon. It didn't matter what the kid did now. He was only delaying the evitable because there was no card in his deck that could defeat his strongest monster.

"I end my turn."

Yugi drew his card, Kuriboh. He sucked in a breath of cold air. Kuriboh would defiantly not being help right now. He knew that the monster had its strengths, but it wouldn't help right now. Maybe he would come in handy later, but for now Yugi would have to come up with another plan. "I summon Witch of the Black Forest in defense mode. (1100/1200) That ends my turn."

Kaiba smirked. There wasn't a snowball's chance in hell that this kid was going to beat him. He hadn't even attacked him yet, and the game was half way over. He drew, happy to see the Pot of Greed magic card in his hand. "I activate Pot of Greed!" He declared, placing the card onto his duel discs. "This allows me to draw an additional two cards." Kaiba pulled the two cards off his deck and grinned eagerly. He had his polymerization card. All he needed was just that one more blue eyes and this duel would be good as done. He'd show this card for challenging him.

"Next, I'll attack your Witch! Go, Battle Ox!"

Yugi watched as the ox came charging and destroyed his witch. The image was turned into a thousand small pixels and they flew backwards towards Yugi. "Whenever With of the Black Forest is destroyed, I can chose one monster from my deck with a defense of 1500 or lower." Yugi took his deck out of the slot and thumbed through it. He spotted the Celtic Guardian and picked it up. "Then I have to show it to my opponent." Yugi held out the card high enough and far enough for Kaiba to see. He added it to his hand. "And finally I reshuffle my deck." Yugi shuffled his deck quickly and thoroughly before placing it back into the card slot, ending his turn.

Yugi looked at his hand and saw the one magic card that could possibly help him. He was tempted to use it now, but something was telling him to wait. Kaiba was planning something; he had been holding back, Yugi thought. There would be a time when this magic card would be useful, but now was not it.

He hoped that time would come soon though. A large crowed had formed to watch the duel. It wasn't that often that people got to see a holographic duel with the world champion before, and people were eagerly taking advantage of it.

Kaiba drew his card and smiled. He was going to end things right now. "I activate the magic card Dark Hole, which destroys all monsters on the field!"

A black hole came onto the field, spiraling downwards into an abyss. The monsters cried as they were sucked into the vortex, disappearing. Yugi looked up and saw a sadistic look in Kaiba's eyes.

"Next I activate the magic card polymerization!" He placed the card down onto his duel disk harshly, making a large slapping noise. "This is it, kid. After this turn, you're dead, because I use polymerization to fuse together my three blue eyes white dragons! Come forth, Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon! (4500/3800)

Yugi watched in horror as a large, three headed beast came onto the field. It roared loudly, throwing its heads around in the air.

The creature had over 4000 attack points. One direct attack and Yugi would lose. He gulped as he unconsciously touched the one magic card that could save him.

"Because Ultimate Dragon is a fusion monster, I cannot attack on this turn. But it does not matter. Next turn, kid, you are finished!"

"I activate change of heart." Yugi whispered, throwing his magic card down onto the field. Kaiba's eyes widened. Had the kid just said what he thought he said?

Ultimate Dragon moved over to Yugi's side of the field. Kaiba was afraid for a moment, but then he smirked. The card would prove to be useless in the end. He laughed, throwing his head back.

"You idiot! Ultimate Dragon still can't attack! It hasn't been a complete turn yet. You are only prolonging your death."

"Kaiba," Yugi said sadly, "you have no respect for your monsters. You only care about power, not about the monsters themselves. Ultimate Dragon does indeed have a high attack power," Yugi's eyes went over to the dragon that was now in his control. "But power is not everything. A true duelist forms a bond with his monsters, and applies that bond into strategy"

Kaiba rolled his eyes in annoyance. "What good does a weak monsters do, kid? Duel Monsters is about having the strongest monster. How else are you supposed to defeat your enemies?"

"There is no such thing as a weak monster, Kaiba. Each monster has their own strengths and weaknesses. Duel Monsters is about recognizing those and using them to your advantage." Yugi closed his eyes and brought a hand over his heart. "I love all my monsters. I guess now I have to show you how strong my love is, and how far it can get you." He opened his eyes. " I activate the magic card Dark Magic Ritual! In order to use this card, I have to sacrifice monsters that have a total of eight stars. Your dragon has twelve."

A large black cauldron appeared out of nowhere, and the Ultimate Dragon was sucked into it.

"No." Kaiba barely managed to whisper. His dragon had been destroyed? Impossible! Nobody had ever destroyed his dragon before!

"I use your dragon to summon Magician of Black Chaos. (2800/2600)" A blue skinned magician appeared, holding a rod. "Next, I use the equip card Magician's spell book. This card raises the attack points of any magician by 500 points.)

Magician of Black chaos (3300/2600)

"And since my magician was special summoned, I can now summon another monster! Go Kuriboh! (300/100)

The small brown fur ball came onto the field, looking fierce, striking its claws at the air.

"I order a direct attack from my magician." The creature went over to Kaiba's open field, attacking him. Kaiba grunted in pain as he stumbled backwards. He growled as his life points dropped.

**Yugi: 2500**

** Kaiba: 500**

"Next, I order a direct attack from Kuriboh."

The small monster growled before running across air, slashing its claws at Kaiba.

** Yugi: 2500**

** Kaiba: 200**

"Kaiba, this duel is over. Because now I activate the magic card Sparks which deducts 300 life points from my opponent. Kaiba, it's over. I won."

-0-0-0-0-0-

**-.- I apologize for the crappiness of this chapter. I haven't played the game with another person is years. If I made a mistake with any of the cards, I apologize. **

** I also apologize for the shortness of this chapter. I'll update chapter eleven soon to make up for it. I have up to chapter 15 written as of now, so hopefully I can go back to a more consistent schedule within the next few weeks. **


	11. Fight With Friends

**Love stinks! *eats spoonful of Cookie Dough ice cream* **

** Sage:….Uh, there there?**

** I'm going to take out my teenage angst out on Yugi and Yami!**

** Sage:…..There, there,…..darling?**

** Stop trying to be sympathetic. It doesn't suit you.**

** Sage: Oh Thank Ra. That was the hardest thing I've ever had to do.**

-0-0-0-0-0-

Yami stood in shock, his mouth slightly agape. Had he seen everything right? Had what he thought he saw really happen? Did Yugi really beat Kaiba? With Kuriboh? Did his little one really beat his cousin, the international champion, with the supposed weakest monster in the game? Apparently Yami wasn't the only one in shock. He could hear the surprised and confused voices of the spectators that had come to watch the game a long time ago. He heard their voices, but they seemed to linger in the air, not necessarily meaning anything.

"Did that really just happen?"

"That kid beat Kaiba?"

"Who is he?"

Yugi took the duel disc off his arm and walked over to Kaiba, returning it. Kaiba grunted and harshly stole away the device. Yugi seemed unfazed by the rude behavior. He had just won a duel, and taught the CEO a lesson. As far as he was concerned, he had done a good thing.

Yami hadn't even ever beaten his cousin. Kaiba's deck was full of nothing but strong monsters. None of Yami's monsters stood a chance against Kaiba, which may have had a reason to his lack of interest in the game overall.

But Yugi had won? The little, insecure boy he found at the diner beat the world champion, and CEO of KaibaCorp. It seemed like a dream. And Kaiba seemed to be in just as much shock. Yami could see the desolate look on his face. The horror in his eyes. His hands trembling, as though they were cold.

"Alright, Yugi!" A voice called and Yami watched as Joey ran over to his friend, wrapping his arms around him. Yugi smiled and let out a small laugh as Joey hugged him, and Yami could see his lips move as he asked Joey something. The blonde whispered something back into Yugi's ear and Yami watched the smile drop off of his face. He couldn't help but wonder what Joey had told Yugi.

Yugi broke free of Joey's grip and turned to face his friend. From his spot Yami saw Yugi speak, and he tried to read his lips. All he got were a few words that Yami thought were, "I'm sorry", "long story" and "explain". He sighed. He had gotten Yugi in trouble with his best friend, and how he was feeling guilty. He should have listened to Yugi when they were outside the hotel. They should have gone somewhere else, somewhere away from Joey.

But if they had gone somewhere else, Yugi wouldn't have defeated Kaiba. A smile came to Yami's face. Yugi was the World Champion now. He needed to talk to Yugi, and get him out of trouble with Joey. It was the least he could do, seeing as how everything had been his idea. He walked over to the two boys, earning a death glare from Joey as he approached.

"Congratulations, Yugi." He said, forcing a smile as he tried to avoid the uncomfortable glare Joey was giving him. "You won! You've taken Kaiba's championship."

The smile on Yugi's face faded and he looked over his shoulder, catching a glimpse of the CEO walking out of the hotel, his head down, not saying a word. "I didn't mean to hurt him. I just wanted to teach him a lesson." His eyes turned back to Joey. "Only I can give Joey a hard time."

Joey snorted and rolled his eyes. "Remember that when we get home later tonight."

"Joey," Yami said, wanting to clear things up before he got his partner into more trouble, "don't get mad at Yugi. This wasn't his idea."

"Yeah, I know it wasn't his idea." Joey said bluntly, anger lacing his voice. "Yugi's not stupid enough to come into my place of employment with his secret fugitive boyfriend."

"He's not a fugitive." Yugi interrupted, looking sadly at his blonde friend.

"Now's not the time to be giving me a vocabulary lesson, Yugi. Now step back so I can kick this guy's ass." He took a step towards Yami, but Yugi latched onto Joey's arm, digging his heels into the floor for leverage and did his best to hold him back.

"No, Joey!" Yugi said, tightening his grip on Joey's arm. "Please, leave him alone."

Joey turned back and looked at Yugi. He was angry at the Yami person, but seeing the look of fear and isolation in Yugi's eyes made the anger vanish. He felt upset for Yugi. Yugi really didn't want him to hurt Yami, did he? He liked the older man, didn't he? He liked him enough to lie and sneak around for nearly a month.

Joey turned away from Yugi and looked at Yami. He found it hard to look at the man that had been sneaking around with his best friend. Ever since the incident with Jack, Joey didn't want anyone around Yugi; no strangers. He didn't like Yami when he brought Yugi home late at night over a month ago, and he sure as hell didn't like him now.

But Yugi did.

Joey sighed. These last few weeks Yugi had seemed happy. He was happier than he had been in over a year. Was that because of Yami? Did Yami make him happy? Joey had enjoyed seeing the spark of life return in Yugi's eyes. Yugi had seemed to return to his old self, the self Joey had befriended on the playgrounds back in first grade. What would happen if he did hurt Yami? Would Yugi revert back into that shell he had built around himself? Would he go back to hardly talking, preferring to keep himself locked in his room?

Joey couldn't let that happen. It seemed like Yugi was finally beginning to recover. Joey didn't want him to have a relapse. He wanted Yugi to return back to the old Yugi. And if this man, if Yami, was part of that recovery, then Joey couldn't hurt him. He wanted Yugi to be happy. And if Yami made Yugi happy, then he was going to have to accept that.

Joey pulled his arm out of Yugi's grasp and stood limp for a moment. He wasn't going to hurt Yami, not now. He had brought the spark back into Yugi's eyes. But, what were his intentions? Jack had seemed like the nicest man on Earth the few times Joey met him, but they all knew how that turned out. What if this man was nothing but a cold hearted bastard, like Jack had been? He didn't trust him as far as he could throw him.

But he wasn't going to block him out of Yugi's life. Not yet. They would talk about this later, but right now he had work to get back too. He turned to face Yugi.

"We'll talk about this later, okay? I have work to do." He glared back over at Yami for good measures, and then walked away, leaving Yugi and Yami by themselves.

Yami watched as Yugi looked down at his feet and shuffled them uncomfortably. He wrapped his arms around his chest and seemed to sink into his self. Yami could watch as Yugi went back into the shell he had created for himself; a shell that Yami had thought had been broken moments ago. Surely defeating Kaiba would have given him a confidence boost? But no, that didn't seem to be the case. It seemed that no matter what Yugi managed to accomplish, he never could get himself out of his introverted self.

"He's mad at me." Yugi whispered, his voice cracking as tears threatened to fall. Yami blinked, looking down at his small love. He knew how important Joey's friendship meant to the younger boy, and now he thought that it had been destroyed. Yami put a strong hand on one of Yugi's shoulder. He felt the boy flinch underneath him at the touch, but soon relaxed into the embrace.

"He's mad at me, not you." Yami said, trying to comfort Yugi. The boy needed to know that this was not his fault. It was Yami's fault. Yami had been the one to push Yugi into this relationship, even after the boy's protests that his friends wouldn't approve. Yami had been the one to tell him that his friends were too protective and that they needed to let him make his own choices.

Yami didn't regret any of it. Yugi needed to be able to be treated like the adult he was. His friends were holding him back, treating him as though he were a child. Yami couldn't stand to see that; that was part of the reason he was so adamant about this relationship with Yugi. He wanted to be one of the decisions Yugi could make his own. He hoped that the younger boy knew he was free to leave anytime he wanted, but he hoped that Yugi would chose to stay with him.

"Just give him some time, Yugi. You'll see, he'll cool off."

The smaller boy sighed, still staring in the direction his friend had run off in. "I hope you're right, Yami. Joey's my best friend. If he's mad at me, I don't know what I'll do."

With that, he turned around, and he and Yami proceeded to leave the hotel.

-0-0-0-0-0-

Yugi sat on the couch back at his home uncomfortable. He stared at his hands, constantly wringing them. It was a nervous habit he always had. The constant rubbing of the skin on his hands was a subtle distraction for his mind. Instead of focusing on whatever thought was bothering him, his mind was thinking of the constant pushing and pulling of the skin. It didn't hurt him, though. Yugi had grown a substantial tolerance to pain over the last two years.

Physcial pain, at least.

He could deal with the pink scars that littered his skin; he could deal with the memories of the bruises that once lived on his arms.

But the emotional pain was far worse. He couldn't stand feeling helpless, but he was, wasn't he? Just a helpless little kid. A liar. A filthy, rotten, little liar. He had lied to Joey. He had lied to Anzu. They were his best friends; they only wanted to help him, to protect him. And what does he do? He stabs them in the back by lying, by sneaking around. He goes to see a man they tried to keep away from him.

'They've only tried to help you. Anzu has allowed you to keep your job, even though you don't deserve it. You're terrible at it. Joey took you in. He allowed you to live with him, even when you deserve nothing more than the streets. And how do you repay them? You lie. You sneak around. You're nothing more than a coward.'

Yugi did his best to ignore the voice in his head, his conscious. But the voice was screaming, rubbing Yugi's mistakes into his face. He wouldn't go away and Yugi didn't know how to silence him. He was right; Yugi was a coward. Instead of going up to Joey and telling him the truth, he lied to get away with his outings with Yami.

Yugi groaned and buried his head in his hands. He felt so stupid. He enjoyed spending time with Yami, but was it worth a ten year friendship? Yugi wasn't sure; he didn't want to lose any friends, be it Joey, Anzu, or Yami.

The sound of a door opening caught Yugi's attention. He looked up and saw Joey entering the apartment slowly. Their eyes locked for a moment and at that instant Yugi wished he would just die. He saw the disappointment in Joey's eyes. He couldn't bear to look at his friend any longer and jerked his head away.

Joey didn't say anything. He went over into their small kitchen and pulled out a soda from the fridge. He pulled the tab, the hissing sound being the only noise throughout the entire apartment. Joey walked over quietly to the living room where he sat on the couch next to Yugi. Neither boy spoke. The tension hung heavily above Yugi's head, it was choking him. What was he going to say? He had no excuse for his lies, for his defiance. Nothing he could say would be enough. He never should have gotten involved with Yami.

After several minutes of awkward, deafening, silence, Joey spoke. "Are you going to start, or shall I?"

Yugi inhaled a shaky breath, doing his best to keep his emotions in line. He could hear the disappointment in Joey's voice and that was what hurt the most. He wanted Joey to be angry; he wanted the blonde to be screaming at him, his face flushed red. The anger would subside after a while, and it was something Yugi could deal with.

But the disappointment was something else. Joey had been nothing but kind to him ever since they had known to each other. Joey only wanted to protect him, to keep him safe. And Yugi betrayed him.

"I'm s-sorry, Joey." Yugi said shakily. He could feel the tears stinging at his eyes, but he held them back. He wasn't going to cry, he wasn't going to be weak. He was going to be a man and face the consequences of his actions.

"How did he get out of jail?" Joey questioned, but deep down, he already knew the answer. He just wanted to hear Yugi say it. He wanted Yugi to confess.

"I went over to the jail…and I…I asked for the charges to be dropped." Yugi admitted, still avoiding Joey's gaze.

"Why?"

"Because!" Yugi screamed, out of nowhere, turning his head to face Joey. Angry tears were beginning to leak out past his eyelids, and Yugi cursed himself for being so weak, but he wasn't going to _not_ say anything. "He didn't hurt him! He didn't need to be in jail!"

"He was harassing you!" Joey argued, getting to his feet, with Yugi following his actions. "I wasn't going to let him hurt you!"

"He wasn't hurting me, Joey!" Yugi pleaded, folding his hands. He hated fighting with Joey. He didn't think he had ever fought with the older man before, making this all the more difficult. "He just wanted to get to know me. He wanted to be my friend."

"We don't know that Yuge. You can't just take everyone by their word. That's how people get killed!"

"And you can't just assume that everyone in the world is out to get me! I'll be eighteen in a few months. I don't need you babysitting me every hour of every day!" The anger Yugi was feeling was intense. He had always tried to control his anger, because it was pointless. It didn't get anything done and only made things worse. But, he couldn't control it this time. Something in him snapped. "I want to be emancipated."

As soon as the words left his mouth, Yugi wished they hadn't. He clasped his hand against his mouth and began to slightly tremble. He was terrified. He looked up shakily into Joey's eyes and saw the hurt in them.

"Is that how you feel, Yuge?" He asked softly, all signs of anger lost in his tone. "You think I baby you?"

Yugi didn't answer. He turned his head away and instead chose to look at the corner of the living room.

"Yugi, I…" Joey was at a loss for words, which was extremely out of character. Joey was never quiet. He always had something to say. "I…I'm sorry." He whispered, unable to fully comprehend Yugi's feelings. Had he been babying Yugi? He didn't mean too, he only wanted to keep safe. There were too many people that had tried to, or had, hurt Yugi in his life. Whether was school bullies, or supposed partners, people in the world seemed to want to harm Yugi. And after Joey sat by his hospital bed for those excruciating three days, while Yugi sat in limbo, he swore that he would not let anyone hurt him ever again.

But had he gone too far? He had only done what he did to protect Yugi. Was he keeping Yugi on a leash?

"It doesn't matter." Yugi said softly, turning his back to Joey. "What's done is done, right?" He sighed and began to walk towards the door. "I'm going out."

Joey just stood there, frozen. He didn't want to keep Yugi on the leash anymore. Yugi was right; he was an adult and deserved to be treated as such. Joey was worried about Yugi leaving the house at a late hour, and not knowing where he was going, but, he trusted Yugi.

At least he thought he did.

-0-0-0-0-0-

**Ra. This is starting to sound like a bad soap opera. Poor Yugi. I should probably give him a break, tone down the drama some. But, then again, I'm a sick person, so what fun would that be?**

**Sage: I know I've said this before, but again: Are you sure you're not the yami?**

**Positive. Thanks for reading, and please review! **

To SoundlessMusic: **Thanks so much for the review(s) It's okay, I understand. I don't like reading duels that much either, but I wanted to write one out. I'm glad you're enjoying the story! **


	12. Drunken Daze

**Warnings for this chapter are: Underage drinking, spending the night in a pedophile-I mean Yami's—home, and mentions of Jack.**

** Sage: How is Yami a pedophile?**

** Yugi's 17. He's 21. Do the math.**

** Sage: But we hate math!**

** Exactly!**

** Sage:….**

-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Yami drove his red car on the narrow, dimly lit road. His hands gripped the steering wheel tightly and he did his best to keep his mind off the incidents. The day had not at all gone as he had hoped, and he wanted to do nothing more than to forget it all.

After he and Yugi had left the small hotel, he had tried to get the boy to talk, but he only remained silent. Yami offered to take him out somewhere to eat, or to a movie, something to get his mind of his blonde friend. His efforts had been in vain, though. Yugi had barely talked, and after several minutes of gentle prodding, Yami realized Yugi wasn't up to anything. He walked the smaller boy back to his apartment where they said their goodbyes.

Yami hoped that it wasn't really goodbye. He hoped that Joey would see how important the two boys were to each other. It was selfish of him to think that he was important to Yugi, but Yugi was important to him. He wanted nothing more than for the boy to be safe and happy. Seeing as how Yugi had always eagerly asked when they could next see each other, Yami assumed it was safe to say that Yugi didn't hate him.

He sighed. He didn't know what he would do if the blonde somehow prevented the two from seeing one another. In the weeks he had known Yugi, he had seen a dramatic change in the boy's demeanor. He did still have his mood swings, but he seemed to be happy the majority of the time.

He still couldn't that image out of his head. The day they met at the grocery store how Yugi had just lost it. Something had obviously happened to the teenager, something he didn't want to share. Yami understood that some things were just too personal to share, but he still wished that Yugi would.

Suddenly, Yami slammed on his brakes, and pulled the car over to the side of road. He thought he had seen something lying on the sidewalk. Hastily, he got out of his car, slamming the door loudly behind him. He could see it just a few feet in front of him. There was a dark figure lying sprawled out on the concrete.

"Hey!" Yami called, making a running start towards the figure on the ground. "Do you need help?" He got to the figure and fell to his knees, gasping as he saw who it was.

Yugi was lying on his back with his arms outstretched. An uncharacteristic smile was on his face and his eyes were closed. Yami knew he was alive because he saw the steady rise and fall of his chest, but it still scared him. They were only a few blocks from his home. What was Yugi doing all the way out here?

Yami shook Yugi gently, earning a groan from the younger boy. His eyes opened slowly and his smile relaxed. Yami breathed a sigh of relief as Yugi began to sit up on his own.

"Yugi," he said, "what are you doing here?"

Yugi looked at him, but there was something off. His eyes seemed to be glazed over and they weren't really focused. Yami helped him to his feet, but still received no answer.

"Yugi?"

"Yami." Yugi said, swaying slightly. "Did Joey kill you yet? Wait. Did he kill me? Are we dead?"

Yami took a step back, a worried look coming onto his face. Yugi was acting rather odd, and seemed to be unable to stand still. Then he saw the bottle held tightly in Yugi's fingers.

"What do you have there?" Yami asked, reaching slowly for the bottle. Yugi's smile widened and he held the bottle out towards his friend.

"Want some?"

Yami took the bottle, trying to read the label in the dark night. He saw the name 'Moonshine' written in bright red letters. He could still see some a lot of the liquid. It looked as though only a few sips had been taken, but Yugi was small. It wouldn't take much to get him…

Yami growled, angry. How could Yugi do something stupid? How could he get himself stranded miles away from home in this condition?

"Is something…wrong?" Yugi asked, slurring his words slightly.

"You're drunk." Yami said, grabbing Yugi's wrist. He wasn't going to let Yugi stand here. He was tempted to take Yugi home, but then he realized the late hour. He didn't want to have to face Joey again, especially not with Yugi like this. He sighed. He was going to have to take Yugi back to his house.

He led Yugi to the passenger side of his car and gave him a soft push in. Then he walked around and went into the driver's seat, glaring at Yugi.

"Do you want to get yourself killed?" He said, holding up the bottle. "Moonshine? You could have given yourself alcohol poisoning!"

Yugi seemed to be ignoring him, instead rocking his head left and right as though he were listening to a song.

Yami seethed, and put the car into motion. He was going to have to wait until Yugi was sober before he could hope to have a real conversation with the younger boy. Yami didn't have any idea how Joey was going to react. He figured the two roommate must have gotten into a fight for Yugi to be out at this hour drunk off his ass.

But surely Joey wouldn't be so angry as to not worry about his friend. Yami sighed and ran a worried hand through his hair. That was something he would have to deal with later. For now, all that mattered was Yugi's safety. Yami was glad he found the younger boy when he did. God only knows what could have happened if someone else had found him.

After several moments of silence, with the occasional incoherent mumbles from Yugi, Yami pulled into the parking lot of his apartment. He put the car in park and pocketed the keys before getting out. He opened Yugi's door and lead the boy to his door roughly by the shoulder. Yugi put up no protests or struggles. Once inside, Yami sat Yugi down on his couch.

"You wait here. I'm going to set up the guest bedroom." He turned around and went into the linen closet where he pulled out several different sheets. He quickly made up the guest bed, which was in the room just across the hall from his own. Then he left the room to retrieve Yugi. He found the younger boy still on the couch, but he had in his hands a small cellphone.

The screen was lighting up and a small tune was playing, but Yugi did not answer it. "It's Joey." He said, still swaying.

Yami sighed. Yugi was in no condition to talk to the blonde. He took the phone away from Yugi and flipped it open before placing it to his ear. "Hello?"

"Yugi, thank God! Where are you?" The worry in his voice was evident and Yami felt a pang of guilt hit his heart. Joey had no ill intentions towards Yugi; he only wanted to protect his smaller friend.

"Actually," Yami said slowly. How was he going to explain this? "This is Yami."

There was silence between them. Then, "Why the hell do you have Yugi's phone?" He didn't scream the question. Instead, he was rather calm. But Yami could still hear the malice in his tone, the hatred.

"Look," Yami said, trying to keep his anger under check. "I found Yugi just a few blocks away from my home. He's drunk, I mean stupid drunk. I was just going to have him stay the night with me. I promise I'll have him back home in the morning."

Joey was quiet for a moment, and Yami was prepared to hear any shouting or profanities the blonde had ready. The reaction he got instead, shocked the older man. "Okay."

"Okay?" Yami repeated, although he wasn't sure why. The blonde wasn't getting into a fight with him, so why was he provoking one? "That's all you have to say? Early this morning you were just about ready to kill me. What suddenly changed your mind?"

Joey was silent for a moment, mulling over his thoughts. Yami bit his lip as he waited for an answer while he eyes would occasionally drift over to Yugi who appeared to be muttering something about a kuriboh floating in the corner. Yami sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. He honestly had never thought about it, but he didn't imagine Yugi would be the stupid drunk. He didn't even think he would ever see Yugi drunk. But apparently there is a first time for everything.

"For two years I've watched him disappear." Joey's reply finally came. It was quiet and distant, and Yami thought it sounded like it pained Joey to say the words. "Then, out of nowhere, he seemed to come back, and I couldn't figure out why. I guess I got my answer today." There was a pause. "Look, what I'm trying to say is…you make him happy."

Yami had to bit his lip to keep himself silent. He wanted to hear what else Joey had to say. He couldn't believe what the blonde had just said. Did he really make Yugi happy? He couldn't help but look up at the drunken kid on his sofa who was now convinced that the coffee table had eyes.

"I haven't seen him happy in years." Joey confessed. "I can't take that away from him. He can spend the night with you. But I swear, you try anything funny with him, I will _not_ hesitate to kill you." The last sentence came out cold and harsh and it sounded like Joey had his lips pressed right against the receiver.

"Well, goodnight to you too." Yami said before flipping the phone shut. Honestly, he was glad Joey was beginning to come to his senses and allow Yugi some freedom, but what the threat really necessary? He sighed. It was time to get Yugi to bed anyways. He could still hear Yugi mumbling in the background. It was difficult to hear, but not impossible. Right now Yami didn't want to hear any more of the younger boy's drunk idiocies.

"Come on Yugi." He said grabbing the boy's hands and lifting him to his feet. "Time for bed."

Yugi stumbled behind him but let out a dumb laugh. "Okay, but can you…can you tell kuriboh to stop…stop following me?" Yugi turned and looked over his shoulder, swatting at something. "Go away!"

Yami rolled his eyes. "You're not drinking ever again." Then a question popped up in Yami's head. One he should have had a long time ago. "How'd you get that moonshine anyways? You're underage."

Yugi giggled. "Nobody cares where I live. Not the people in the alley, at least."

Yami didn't know whether to be angry or scared at the comment. "You bought alcohol in an alleyway? Damn it, Yugi. Are you trying to get yourself killed?"

Yugi said nothing and just allowed Yami to lead him to the guest room. He was pushed gently until he was sitting on the bed, staring into Yami's glaring eyes.

"I'll be right across the hall if you need me." Yami said and turned around. He went to his own bedroom and quickly changed out of his clothes. It had been a long day and he was pissed. All he wanted to do was rest, and pray that Yugi would sleep this off. He didn't want to wake up to a drunk teenager inside his apartment. He flopped down onto his bed, inhaling the scent of his pillowcase. Before he knew it, he was asleep.

There were soft cries ringing in his ears. Yami got up groggily, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. Where were those cries coming from? They sounded desperate and alone. Who was crying? They sounded hurt and Yami felt the need to help them. Then the events of a few hours earlier came crashing down on him like a tsunami. Yugi!

Yami's eyes glanced at his small digital clock and saw the red numbers read : 2:18. Another pained sob was heard and Yami jumped out of bed, running towards the guest room. He threw the door wide open and saw Yugi, sitting up in the bed, letting out a strangled sob.

Yami ran over to the bed, placing his hands on Yugi's shoulders and shaking him slightly. The younger of them was still asleep, and in the middle of a nightmare, it looked like.

"Yugi?" Yami said, trying to break the concentration. Yugi's eyes were shut tight, his hands clenched around the covers. "Yugi, wake up!"

Yugi shook his head and seemed to be cowering. "Don't hurt me…." He whispered his voice soft and childlike.

Yami felt his eyes rise at that statement. Somebody was hurting Yugi. Granted, it was just a dream, but still. Nobody hurt Yugi. He began to shake Yugi a little harder, his voice speaking a little louder. "Yugi, wake up!"

Yugi seemed to relax a bit for a moment. His shaking had slowed down, and his breathing wasn't as rapid. His eyes slowly opened and Yami was relived to be looking into the beautiful violet orbs he had fallen in love with. His eyes were still unfocused, and Yami was reminded that Yugi was still drunk. It would take another several hours before the alcohol had cleared his system.

Yami sat down the very edge of the bed, still keeping his hand on Yugi. "Are you okay?"

Yugi nodded, but avoided Yami's gaze. Instead he chose to focus his attention on his knuckles, which were a ghostly white from having gripped the bed sheets so hard.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Yami was curious to know what his little one was dreaming about. Someone had been hurting him in the dream and that was unacceptable.

Yugi looked up and Yami had to suppress a gasp. Yugi's eyes were full of tears and they looked empty, dead. It was as if he was a soulless shell.

"Don't tell Joey." He whispered, his voice every bit as empty and dead as his eyes.

"Don't tell Joey about what?" Was Yugi ashamed of having a nightmare? Was he ashamed of crying? Yami doubted that Joey would have a hard time believing either statement, and it did not make sense for Yugi to kept it a secret.

"Don't tell Joey about Jack."

Yami felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. He had gotten a name out of Yugi; an unfamiliar one at that. Maybe this had to do with that apparent accident Yugi was in about a year earlier. Was this Jack person somehow involved in that? Yami wanted to know, but another part of him was saying maybe ignorance was bliss. Yami swallowed. He couldn't live in the dark. He wanted Yugi to be a part of his life, and that meant knowing everything about him.

"Who is Jack?" Yami managed to say, feeling his mouth grow dry as soon as the words left him. Yugi shifted slightly and then began to lean onto Yami's shoulder. The action was surprise to Yami, especially since Yugi did his best to avoid touch. This Jack person seemed to bring up bad memories for Yugi; it looked as though he wanted to disappear.

"My boyfriend." Yugi said after a moment of silence.

Yami didn't know how to feel. Yugi had told him he had never been in a serious relationship before. Was he lying that day they had their first date? It was obvious the alcohol was speaking for Yugi. Having that, plus his already current memory problems, made it clear to Yami that Yugi had no idea what he was saying. All the weeks Yami had known the boy, he made it his mission to keep his past secret. Yami doubted Yugi would suddenly change his mind out of nowhere.

But still. Hearing Yugi speak of a past lover did bring up some jealous feelings. But he had to shove them down. Right now Yugi was his main concern. And finding out about this Jack person, which would more than likely answer more than a few questions Yami had about Yugi's past.

It did seem kind of sleazy now that he thought about it. He was taking advantage of Yugi; he was using the boy's impaired mental state to get the answers he wanted. But Yami couldn't let this opportunity go to waste. Yugi would probably never tell him about his past willingly, and Yami doubted he could get Yugi tell him, even with persistent and annoying nagging.

"Why don't you want Joey to know?" Yami asked, feeling his grip on Yugi tighten. He could feel the smaller boy sinking deeper into his body and he got a feeling that he wasn't going to like what he was about to hear.

Yugi was silent for several minutes. Yami could feel him playing with the sheets that covered his lower body, trying to get his mind of the topic. He didn't like thinking about it. The memories caused him pain. They made him live through the pain again. But, he looked up at Yami, and the way the older man looked down at him made him feel safe. Yugi wanted to confide in Yami, he wanted to spill every dirty little secret of his to the older man.

"He…" Yugi began, feeling his throat constrict as he tried to form the words. "He hits me."

Yami had no reaction at first. He was hit by a variety of emotions. Surprise, anger, pain. He felt his grip on Yugi tighten again, this time unconsciously. He wanted to protect Yugi. He couldn't believe his ears at first. Had Yugi said what he thought he said? Did he say that Jack hit him? There was more to the story, Yami knew. He wanted to know more, but at the same time, he didn't. He didn't want to hear of Yugi's pain. But, he also knew that he needed to.

"What…what else does he do?"

"He tells me things…" The tone of Yugi's voice was beaten.

"What does he tell you?"

Yugi paused, a choked cry escaping his lips. "He tells me I'm stupid…and worthless. He says that if it…if it weren't for him, I'd be back on the streets because nobody wants me."

Yami thought he heard Yugi say 'back on the streets'. That would imply that he was once on the streets. But he couldn't focus on that now, no matter how much his curiosity had peaked. Yugi needed to talk, he needed to get everything off his chest. And Yami needed to listen.

"…Sometimes he would say that he was going to kill me."

Yami mentally cursed inside his head. So that's why he was so insecure. That's why he had that scar on his eye. He had been abused mentally and physically. Yami wanted to go out and find that Jack person and give him hell. Nobody had a right to hurt another human being. Nobody had a right to hurt this small, beautiful, broken boy beside him. Yami wanted to whisper soft, comforting words inside his ear and tell him that everything was going to be okay. But, Yami refrained from doing so because he wasn't sure if everything was going to be okay. Yugi needed help. Professional help. He sighed and petted Yugi's hair as the young boy began cry softly, sniveling.

The two sat together in that embrace for what felt like forever. Neither saying anything, content in the silence.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Yami hadn't realized he had fallen asleep until he woke up to the sun shining brightly through the curtains. He groaned and turned over onto one side, but ended up falling out of the bed. He cursed and sat up, rubbing the back of his head. Yami opened his eyes and saw that he was in the guest room.

He sighed as memories of the previous night came back to him. He still couldn't believe it; Yugi had been abused. He had been abused by a significant other. Suddenly Joey and Anzu's overprotectiveness made sense, and Yami knew, had their roles been reversed, he would have reacted in the same way. Yami turned his head to catch a glimpse of his sleeping partner, but found the bed empty. Yami stood up, scanning the surrounding area. The boy was nowhere to be seen.

Yami felt panic gripping inside him. What if Yugi left during the middle of the night? There was no way he could get home safely. Yami ran out of the bedroom, turning his head left and right for any signs of the boy.

He relaxed when he heard movement coming from the nearby bathroom. Yami walked towards it, surprised to see the door wide open. Yugi was on his knees, his face in the toilet. Retching sounds could be heard. Yami walked over there and stood in the doorway for a moment, watching the smaller boy. He could see Yugi stretch forward slightly each time something came up, and afterwards his shoulders would rise and fall with his rapid breathing.

"Hangovers are a bitch, aren't they, aibou?" Yami said, and he couldn't help but smile.

Yugi pulled his head up. His eyes were bloodshot and his face was red. He turned over to face Yami and the older boy could see the misery in his eyes. Yugi placed his elbows on the toilet seat and rested his head in his hands.

"My head feels like it's going to explode." He complained, through deep breaths.

"Maybe now you'll learn your lesson about drinking? Why did you try it anyways? That was really stupid of you."

"I wanted to know what it tastes like." Yugi said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. He took in a few deep, rapid breaths before turning to face Yami. "What happened last night?"

Yami tensed. He knew that Yugi didn't want him to know about Jack. That's why he tried to so hard to keep it a secret. But, how would he feel knowing he spilled his guts in his drunken stupor? How much did Yugi remember? Yami hoped he didn't remember their two am conversation. If Yugi figured out Yami knew, he would more than likely run away, thinking Yami would want nothing to do with him. Of course that was far from the truth, but Yugi had no self-confidence, and whatever that bastard told Yugi, Yugi thought it applied to everyone around him. Yugi thought he was worthless and a nuisance to everyone.

"What do you remember?" Yami asked, feeling the tension rise in the air.

"You were talking to Joey…on the phone…Then I woke up."

Yami felt himself relax some. Yugi didn't remember their conversation. It was a relief, but Yami also felt guilty. He knew something he wasn't supposed to know. And Yugi believed he didn't know. Yami couldn't lie to the teen, at least not for long. He hoped that he could new answers, but he defiantly knew not from Yugi.

Yami bit on the inside of his cheek. Maybe he could get answers from someone else. After his conversation with Joey last night, Yami was sure the blonde didn't hate him. Maybe he would be willingly to talk, at least now that Yami knew half the story.

"Let's take you home."

-0-0-0-0-0-

**And the plot rolls on! Despite the dark themes in this, I found this a fun chapter to write. It's always run writing about a drunk Yugi.**

** Sage: That's messed up….especially considering you know nothing about alcohol. **

** Yup! **


	13. Truths and Death Threats

**Another chapter in one week!...I should probably ease up. I don't have many other chapters written yet….but I love you guys to much to make you wait!**

** Sage: Push over.**

** You just jealous cause they love me and hate you.**

** Sage:…No reviewer has ever said that they love you. What delusion are you living in?**

** ….Warnings for this chapter are as followed: Swearing, mentions of violence, abuse, and blood. **

-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Yugi sat in the passenger seat of Yami's car, trying to keep his eyes closed. His head was throbbing, and with each heartbeat the pain only increased. He let his forehead touch the cool glass of the window and tried to get his mind of his headache. He had vomited everything he had in his stomach, but still felt nauseous each time Yami drove around a corner.

He felt incredibly stupid for getting drunk last night. He still had no idea how he managed to walk from his apartment to just a few blocks away from Yami's. He didn't know where the older man lived, so it had only been coincidence he ended up there. But it was still a long walk. Roughly fifteen miles from what Yami had said.

It had only been late afternoon when Joey came home, and Yami found him late at night. Yugi guessed there was about six hours difference from when he left home and when Yami found him. He had been walking for six hours. It explained the soreness of his legs. Having that plus his hangover, he was miserable.

Thankfully Yami said nothing as they drove him back home. Any sounds, not matter how subtle, only caused him pain. He wasn't in the mood for talking, either. Especially since Yami seemed to know something he didn't.

Yugi sighed. Whatever it was, he didn't care. All he wanted to was to go back home and sleep.

Yami pulled into a parking space and turned the ignition off. He glanced over at Yugi as he took of his seatbelt.

"Come on." Yami said, opening his car door.

Yugi groaned. "I can get home by myself."

Yami had to suppress a chuckle. He wasn't sure whether he admired or disdained Yugi's stubbornness. It was bound to get the boy in trouble eventually. "I don't think so." Yami said, walking over to Yugi's door.

"Joey's going to kill you." Yugi moaned through his headache.

"He can do it after he kills you. Something tells me he's not going to like seeing you hung over like this. Besides, you can barely sit up straight. You expect me to believe that you can climb several flights of stairs unassisted?"

Yugi looked at Yami for a moment; his eyes dark and empty. "Fine."

-0-0-0-0-0-

After several moments that included Yami half dragging, half carrying Yugi up the necessary flights of stairs, they were finally at Yugi's apartment. Yugi leaned against the building as Yami knocked on the door, anxiously awaiting the answer from Joey.

Several seconds later, the door opened, revealing a steaming blonde.

"Where is he?" Joey asked without hesitation.

Yugi tried to fake a smile as he walked into Joey's view. He waved slightly and gritted his teeth as another throb attacked his temple. "Hi, Joey."

"You're drunk." Joey said, his voice one tone of anger.

"No!" Yugi denied, but then winced as another stroke of pain hit his head. "I just have a hangover…it means I _was _drunk."

"Yeah, yeah. You can be a smartass later. Get inside."

Yugi complied without further word and ran into his bedroom. Joey sighed and looked over at Yami, whom he had been ignoring earlier.

"Thanks for bringing him home." Joey said, avoiding the older man's gaze. He felt guilty for having yelled at him earlier, even if still didn't totally trust him. He had just wanted to help Yugi and get to know him.

Yami waited for a moment in silence. The words Yugi had said in his drunken stupor last night still playing in his mind. He needed answers. He wanted answers.

"Who's Jack?" He said before he could stop himself. He saw the look of pain and anguish that flashed in Joey's eyes at the mention of the name, but as quickly as it came, it disappeared, leaving the mask of anger.

"Where did you hear that name?" Joey's voice was a low, deep growl. It sounded animalistic to Yami, and he knew at that instant that it only brought up bad memories.

"Last night…" Yami began, feeling his throat constrict. He had seen Joey angry before, but this looked different. The look he had now looked murderous, as though he could kill anyone at any moment and not care. "Yugi woke up in the middle of the night and started rambling about someone named Jack…I didn't really get anything except the name." Yami lied.

Yugi's words still continued to play in his mind. They repeated in his broken, drunken, voice, sounding the exact same as Yami had heard them.

_He hits me. _

But Yami couldn't let Joey know how much Yugi had told him. It might make things worse between the two of them, if that was possible. Besides, he didn't even know how much of what Yugi said was the truth. He was fairly incapacitated, and he had no memory of what he had said. For all Yami knew, it was nothing but one large story. There probably wasn't even a Jack.

But, he knew there was someone named Jack. He wouldn't have gotten the reaction of out Joey that he did if there wasn't.

Joey looked into Yami's eyes and sighed. His eyes lost their anger and instead filled with sadness and pain.

"Come with me." Joey said quietly exiting the apartment and closing the door behind him. "You already know half the story. What's telling you the rest going to hurt?"

Yami said nothing as Joey grabbed a jacket and threw it on. He turned around facing Yugi's door.

"Yugi, I'm off to kill your boyfriend and hide his body in the woods!"

He turned towards Yami and smirked, while the older man felt the blood drain from his face. He wasn't sure if the blonde was joking or not. He hoped he was. He didn't feel like being buried underneath a tree.

"Relax, man." Joey said, noticing the tension in the older man's face. He laughed a little and stepped outside the apartment door, closing it behind him. "I don't bite. Hard."

"Very funny." Yami muttered, taking a step back. He watched as Joey walked down the stairs, taking them two at a time. He followed the blonde and once they both reached the bottom of the stairs, continued to walk wordlessly.

Yami followed Joey down the street, unsure of whether or not he should break the silence. In one way, it was comforting. If no words were exchanged, then there was no way to make the other angry. But, it was also suffocating. Yami felt like the air around him was growing hotter each minute, and closing in on him.

The streets weren't very crowded for the time. Every now and then another person would pass by them, not bothering to exchange a wave or a good morning. It seemed that the only noise was the occasional honk of a car, and the birds chirping in the sky.

Yami hadn't been paying much attention to where Joey was leading him, but was surprised at where they were. It was the diner. Yami frowned. Why would Joey take him here, of all places?

"Wait here." Joey commanded, walking towards the entrance.

"Why?" Yami asked, not enjoying being told what to do by a teenager. He was older than the blonde, even if it didn't look like it.

"Look, right now I'm the only thing preventing Anzu from chopping you into a dozen pieces. While that would make hiding your body in the woods easier, I don't think it's the way you want to die. Just give me a few minutes to calm her down, and then we'll talk."

"What does she have to do with this in the first place?" Yami asked, unconsciously placing his hand to the space on his neck where the brunette had placed the tip of her knife. Honestly, she hadn't made a very good first impression, and he couldn't see how someone as timid and shy as Yugi could be friends with someone as blunt and violent as her.

"She's Yugi's friend too." Joey said, angrily. "That's how she's involved." Then, Joey entered the small shop, leaving Yami alone on the street. The older man sighed and leaned against the wall of the building. He could only imagine how the conversation between Yugi's two friends was going. Neither of them liked him, although Joey was giving him the time of day. Perhaps the blonde was warming up to him.

Or leading him to his grave.

He still wasn't sure what to make of the 'bury your body in the woods' comment.

He thought he could hear Anzu screaming through the brick wall, but then disregarded it. It was only his imagination preparing for the worst. Part of him was saying that he should cut his losses and run. He wouldn't have the knowledge about Yugi, but at least he could get away with his life.

He groaned. It was so conflicting. He wanted to know about Yugi. He wanted to help Yugi with whatever problems it was he had. He needed to hear what Joey had to say in order to do that. But, Yugi's friends still hated him. It was evident in their eyes and the way they spoke to him. They apparently were willing to talk about Yugi's past, which seemed to be such a taboo. Maybe their opinion had changed somewhere along this road.

The door opened and Joey, along with a steaming Anzu, came out. The woman was wearing her uniform. A white top with a black, pleated skirt. Her face was red and her eyes seemed to be murdering Yami a thousand times over in her mind.

"Why should we tell him?" She demanded, not caring that Yami was standing right in front of her, hearing every word that was being said. "He's going to hurt him!" Tears prickled at her blue eyes, falling like sparkling diamonds. She whined, inhaling a deep breath. Yami could tell that it was really hurting her to think of Yugi's past.

"He already knows some of it." Joey said softly, also ignoring Yami. He placed a hand on her shoulder and suddenly the two were hugging. He petted her hair, whispering soothing words into her ears. "Yugi deserves it." She hiccupped some, and then nodded, breaking free of the hug.

She turned to Yami. The older man expected a glare, but instead all he saw was her crying, broken eyes. She sniffed and walked towards Yami, not at all intimidated by the slight height difference. Her eyes were beautiful in their pain, but they still held their assertiveness. The same protectiveness Yami witnessed the first day he met her.

"If you use what we tell you to hurt Yugi," she paused, her voice cracking slightly, "then I will not hesitate to make your life a living hell. I will follow you until the end of time, I will follow you across the Earth," her voice became low, and she spoke her words slowly, enunciating each word as though she were speaking to a child, "and I will do all I can to make you suffer and _pay._"

Yami inhaled softly. Was this another death threat? It was a record for him. But, he felt happy to know that Yugi had such good friends. They loved him enough to kill for him, which said a lot. Not many people would do that to protect a loved one.

"I want to help him." Yami replied, trying to keep his tone steady.

Anzu studied his eyes for a moment. She didn't blink, but her eyes did waver. Yami felt like she was staring straight down into his soul, ripping it apart, dissecting it, piece by piece.

"Let's go." She said, cocking her head in Joey's direction. She turned around and began to walk towards the blonde. Yami was quick to follow and the trio walked silently down the road. Yami had no idea where they were taking him, but they seemed to have an idea. He understood that this would be done on their terms, wherever they were comfortable with talking.

Curiosity eventually got the better of Yami. He wanted to know where he was being lead. He needed to know. Hopefully not the woods, he thought. He still couldn't trust that what Joey had said earlier was just a joke. The blonde didn't seem to be the one to joke when it came to the safety of his friends.

"Where are we going?" He asked, feeling his throat grow dry as he spoke.

"My place." Anzu said without looking back. "My parents are out of town for the next few days, so it'll be a private place to…" she paused for a moment, and Yami noticed her chewing on her lip as she tried to find the right word, "talk."

The way she had said the one simple word was like a slap in the face for Yami. It was just another reminder that he was not wanted, nor liked. She had said the word as though it were poisonous and she couldn't wait to spit it out.

Suddenly, Yami found himself outside a small home. It had a green yard with rose bushes against the side of the house. The shutters were a dark black color that contrasted nicely with the white exterior of the house. The front door was a blood red color, and it finished off the curb appeal of the house pleasantly.

He followed the duo up to the front door where Anzu fiddled through her purse for a key. She inserted it into the lock and Yami could hear the click as the door opened. Yami walked in and was astounded by the homey-ness of the modest house. He found himself in a living room, with a small TV and two large couches, with a coffee table in the center.

The carpet was a beige color, and Yami could see the indentations of Anzu's shoes in it, indicating that it was thick too.

"Wait here." Anzu ordered. "I'll go make some tea." She left Yami alone with Joey, who was already making himself at home. He had plopped down on one of the couches and had his feet propped up on the table.

Yami sat down next to the blonde, deciding he would rather sit next to him than Anzu. The girl's hatred radiated off her body, and she was likely to snap at any moment.

Yami tried to get his mind off his possible impending doom. He thought back to the previous night when he found Yugi lying on the sidewalk. It was hard to get that image out of his mind; from the road, Yugi looked as though he were dead. And seeing as how earlier that day hadn't gone so well, Yami could only conclude that Yugi and Joey got into an argument.

"What happened between you and Yugi yesterday?" He asked, trying to keep his voice low so Anzu wouldn't hear it.

Joey grunted and placed his hands behind his head. "We got into a little spat, and Yugi ran out."

"And you didn't follow him? Or call the police?" Yami questioned, finding it hard to believe that Joey would just Yugi run off. He seemed too protective to let that happen. Whatever had happened, it was big.

"No," Yami pressed, "it was more than that. After all the death threats you guys gave me for coming near him, am I to believe that you would just let walk out in the dark?"

Joey was silent for a moment, and he sighed. "He said I was babying him and then said he wanted to be emancipated."

The memory seemed to cause pain for Joey. Yami could see the blonde fighting back tears as he spoke.

"I've been his guardian ever since…the incident. Sometimes it's hard for me to remember that he's almost an adult. Having this title…it's made me see him as my kid. I have to protect my kid, right?"

Yami was astounded by how much the blonde was sharing. He never expected Joey to feel like he was Yugi's parent.

"The last thing any father wants is to hear that their kid hates him. I spent all last night thinking about these last few years. And, I was considering if I should emancipate Yugi. If it's what he wants…" Joey paused for a moment and looked over at Yami, his eyes wavering. "I want him to be happy."

Anzu came in carrying a tray of tea. She slammed it down on the table angrily, drips of the copper liquid flying out of their cups.

"Joey!" She scolded, grabbing a nearby magazine and rolling it up, "get your feet off the table!" She smacked the blonde's ankles, getting a jolt from him. He scowled at her for a moment before putting on a playful smile.

"Whatever you say, Anzu." He placed his feet on the ground and reached for the cup of tea, taking a large sip. "So…do you want to start?"

Anzu's angry glare disappeared and she sat down on the second couch. She folded her arms protectively around her chest and seemed to sink into the sofa. "You better do it." She muttered.

Joey nodded and turned to Yami. "First things first: you will _not _interrupt me. Got it? You can ask questions later, but right now, I just want to finish the story at once."

Yami nodded.

Joey sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Okay. Where to begin? Yugi's life has been one giant disappointment after another. Nothing ever seems to go right for him, and the World literally has been out to get him since the day he was born.

"His parents died when he was little. His mom died giving birth, and his dad died a few years later in a car crash. At four years old, he was orphaned. His only living relative was his grandfather, so that's where Yugi went to live.

"I visited his grandfather's many times when we were little. The old man dotted on Yugi like he was his son. Yugi was always happiest when he was at home.

"School was a living hell for Yugi. He was always shorter than the rest of his class. He would get bullied a lot. The fact that he was the smartest in his class didn't help either. Not only was he a 'midget'," Joey paused and his face seemed to contort at the use of the word, "but he was also a nerd. Anzu and I were two grades higher than Yugi, so we couldn't be there for him all the time. Many times when we saw him at recess, or lunch, he had some kind of bruise on his skin, or dried blood under his nose. But the funny thing? He always had a smile on his face."

Joey paused to laugh at the irony of the memory. "He was always smiling when he saw us." Then the smile disappeared as quickly as it had appeared. "The bullying continued for several years. In fact, the older we got, the worse it got. The bullies got bigger and stronger, and Yugi never really peaked. And in high school, we rarely saw each other during the school week. Our schedules just wouldn't allow for it. So every Sunday when we would meet up, he looked as though he had been hit by a truck.

"Then, Fate decided to fuck with Yugi some more. His grandfather died when he was fourteen. The bank repossessed Yugi's home, and he was about to be sent to an orphanage. We would more than likely never see him again, and that was the last thing Yugi needed. His only family had died, and his childhood home had been stolen from him. If they took him, and separated us, Yugi would no longer have any connection to his old life. So, he ran.

"He was homeless. We don't know where he would stay, but he did jump around between three or four places. We knew about his situation, but there was nothing we could do. My dad…" Joey paused again and began to chew on his lip. "My dad wasn't the most responsible person, let's just say that. He couldn't take care of me, and there was no way he would take care of Yugi. Anzu's parents would've just called CPS and Yugi would've been taken to the orphanage. We had no choice but to keep it secret if we wanted to see him."

"I found him sleeping under a bridge one night." Anzu interrupted. Her eyes were already tearing up and she sniveled some. "I couldn't bear to see him like, so I took him to the diner. I had an old mat stored in there for when I would go to my dance class. I let him sleep in the diner during the night and he would work during the day. He dropped out of school because they would've called CPS. He spent his entire life at the diner, it seemed, for that one year."

"And then it all changed." Joey said, his voice growing grime and hateful.

"What happened?" Yami asked, feeling his heart sink at the story of Yugi's life. He couldn't imagine being homeless. He couldn't even begin to imagine being homeless at such a young age. And all so he wouldn't be separated from his friends. He could've told someone, gone to CPS, and had a home. It would have been a foster home, but it would have been better than nothing. He was astounded by how strong Yugi's friendship truly was with these two.

"Jack happened." Joey growled. "He saw Yugi at the diner one day and asked him out. Yugi would've been…fifteen at the time. And this bastard was twenty-one. Anzu and I were against it from the start; he was a pedophile about to abduct him and done God knows what to him for all we knew. But, Yugi seemed happy in the weeks he had known Jack. And we hadn't seen him happy in a long time, not since his grandfather died. So we kept our opinions to ourselves.

"Yugi moved in with him after just a month. That only made our suspicions of him being a pedophile rise even more. It was too soon. But, Yugi needed a home, and the diner wouldn't cut it. So we didn't say anything.

"I met Yugi for lunch a few days later, and I could tell something was wrong. He was sitting at the booth with his head held down. So I decided to surprise him. Instead, he surprised me. He had the biggest, blackest eye I had ever seen. He tried to give me some bullshit story that he had walked into a wall in the middle of the night. Yugi always tries to protect people, even those who hurt him. I never understood it, and I still don't. I was able to tell right away that he had been punched.

"And it wasn't hard to tell who had done it. I was dead bent on killing that bastard, but Yugi begged me not too. He said it was just a drunk mistake, that Jack loved him and apologized right away. Seeing how upset Yugi was, I had to concede. I wanted him to be happy. So, I let it go. I didn't realize how big of a mistake I had made. And the funny thing? I actually forgot about the black eye until several months later."

He glanced up and looked at Anzu with his sad eyes. He pulled his head away after a moment and took in a shaky breath. Yami couldn't help but feel his heart drop even further at the sight. He took the blonde as the type to hide his emotions, to keep them secret. And yet, Yami was watching him break down.

"We don't know what exactly happened in the next few months." Joey cried, tears pooling out his eyes. "Yugi…he just seemed to pull away from us. He was quieter…and jumpier. We would make plans for movies, or dinner, and he wouldn't show up. We were worried, deathly worried. We tried calling him all the time and he never answered. If we saw him on the streets, or if we did manage to meet him for lunch, he just seemed…out of it. He wouldn't say why he wouldn't answer our calls, or talk to us."

"One day," Anzu interrupted, wiping the tears out of her eyes and taking a shaky breath, "Yugi stopped showing up for work. Just out of the blue. I called him and called him and he never answered. And," she paused for a moment and seemed embarrassed by the information she was about to give, "and we didn't know where Jack's house was. We had no way to contact him. And he didn't show up for two months!" Anzu put his face in her hands and cried softly.

Joey sighed. "Then, Yugi called me. After two months of silence, he called me. I asked him question after question about where he went and why he never called us. He told me he didn't have much time, but that he and Jack were fighting. He asked if he could stay at my place for a few nights. By now , a year after Yugi started going out with this creep, I had gotten emancipated and was living on my own.

"I told him he could and we agreed that he would be over at seven that night. Well, time ticked by. Yugi never came. At ten, I was panicked, finally remembering the black eye Jack had given Yugi. I set out searching for Yugi. I didn't know where I was going, but I just went where my feet took me. I searched all the areas between my home and Anzu's diner, and even went in the northern part of town. It was midnight and I was tired, about to call the police, when I heard it: a low moan. I saw I was next to an alleyway and in the alleyway…"

Tears ran down Joey's face, splashing onto the couch. "God, he had so much blood. He was unconscious…His face was bruised and bloodied…I put his head in my lap and I felt the sticky substance…he had a head injury, and his fingers looked like broken chopsticks. I called an ambulance and when we got to the hospital, they took him into surgery. I called Anzu, despite the hour and she came right away and we waited for what felt like eternity for the doctor to come out those large metal doors.

"Finally, he did and I could tell from the look on his face that it wasn't good news." Joey's voice was cracking in despair. "His fingers were broken, and he had a broken wrist but that had already begun to heal, telling doctors that it was at least a few weeks old. He had bruises _all_ over him. They were _everywhere. _And the big injury…he had a skull fracture. Doctors said it was clear he had been abused. I remember Anzu and I….we just looked at each other and then we started crying. And then the doctor said that he had been in the alley for a while…he had lost a lot of blood, and….he had fallen into a coma.

"The odds of him waking up were slim to none. And if he did wake up, doctors said it was likely he would be a living statue. He would lose his personality. He would become…apathetic, and it was likely he would never talk.

"I sat by his bed for three days, crying my eyes out. My best friend had been tortured for over a year and I didn't notice! It explained everything…Yugi's change in behavior, and his sudden disappearance. Doctors said it was likely that Jack was keeping Yugi prisoner in his own home…it's fairly common in abuse cases, apparently. And I couldn't help but blame myself for everything. I told myself that if I had done something that day I saw Yugi with the black eye, things would be different. Yugi wouldn't have been hurt. He wouldn't be lying on the damn hospital bed in a _coma _fighting for his life."

Joey let out a shaky breath and then he did something unexpected. He laughed. It was bitter and cold, but it was a laugh. "After three days, Yugi woke up. He beat the odds. And when I saw the light in his eyes, I knew he would be okay. He wouldn't be a robot, he would be the Yugi we knew. He beat the odds again. Yugi had to stay in the hospital for the next few days. Luckily, he had no problem with his motor functions. The only problem was—"

"His memory." Yami interrupted. It had made sense now. Why Yugi's friends were so protective of him. Why they were so against his and Yugi's relationship.

Yugi had been abused.

It took a moment for the word to register in Yami's head, for him to understand the full meaning behind it.

Yugi had been _abused_.

Oh god…

"I'm sorry." Yami whispered, feeling tears prick at his eyes. He felt so bad for Yugi's past. He had no idea just how much the younger boy had suffered. It wasn't fair! Yugi was nothing but a sweet, innocent little boy. He would never harm a fly, and yet…people seemed to love to hurt Yugi.

And Yami hurt to love Yugi. His heart pained for Yugi. He wanted nothing more than to find his little partner and hold him tight; telling him everything would be okay, no one would hurt him ever again.

"What are you sorry for?" Anzu whispered, wiping tears from her eyes. "You haven't hurt Yugi. But, we've hurt you." She hung her head in shame. "I'm sorry for calling the cops on you."

Yami no longer held any ill-bearings about that. He understood that she was only trying to protect her friend. Had their roles been reversed, he was sure he would do nothing different.

"No, it's fine." Yami said. "I understand now."

"Understand this." Joey said, gritting his teeth. "Yugi is not to know we told you this. It would break his heart. Yugi doesn't like talking about it and neither do we. Next time you see him, act like you know nothing."

"I have your blessing to date him?"

Joey scoffed. "It's not for you, lover-boy." Then his eyes softened. "Like I said. You make him happy. He deserves to be happy. Life hasn't allowed him too." Joey's eyes hardened then suddenly. "But I swear, if you hurt him…let's just say that I know some people."

Another death threat? Yami smirked. He knew it was only Joey's way of saying 'I don't hate you'.

"I wouldn't have it any other way."

-0-0-0-0-0-0-

**Isn't this…sorta…sweet?...Uh…..The point is Anzu and Joey don't hate Yami anymore! Hooray! **

** Sage: You're a b—**

** And that's all the time we have for today! Also, I have a poll on my profile, regarding my next story. Please go and vote on it! **


	14. Assualts

**I hate the new review button.**

** Sage: Seriosuly?**

** It's so bulky! And it takes up, like, the entire bottom of the page.**

** Sage: Quit your bitchin' and get on with the story.**

** Yeah, yeah.**

-0-0-0-0-0-

Yami allowed the information he had recently learned to sink it. He had to mull over everything he had learned. Things with Yugi started to make more sense now. Why he didn't like being touched for example. If what Joey said was true, and Yami had no reason not to believe him, if Yugi had been abused for over a year…

Any touch would mean pain. No matter how small, no matter how subtle. After a year of living in a world of pain, that kind of thing would become engraved into your mind. Every time you were touched, your mind would revert back to that time in your life when touch equaled pain. And Yugi still had that rationale.

Joey's tale also explained Yugi's mood swings. The memories still seemed to be fresh in his mind, any little thing setting a movie of them playing in his mind. Seeing those memories…maybe they made him relive his memories, and he reverted back to how he felt during the memory.

He couldn't believe all the terrible thing that had happened to Yugi in his short life. It wasn't fair. Yugi was still a kid, he didn't deserve anything that had happened to him. He was such a nice, sweet, kid. Yami felt his fist clenching. He hated hearing what had happened to Yugi during his last…relationship. It explained so much, though. Why Joey and Anzu reacted the way they did. Now that he knew what he did, he couldn't blame them for their overprotectiveness. It was out of necessity, not because they saw Yugi as a helpless child.

Yami hated this 'Jack' person. He was nothing more than a pathetic worm. How dare he hurt Yugi? How dare he take advantage of Yugi? And more importantly, how dare he land Yugi in the hospital?

A thought came to Yami suddenly. He looked over at Joey was sipping his tea quietly.

"What happened to Jack?" He blurted out. Joey almost gagged on his tea for a moment, coughing for a few moments.

"What do you mean?" He asked, wiping his mouth with his sleeve, which earned a glare from Anzu.

"Was he ever arrested?"

Joey's eyes dropped and they looked deathly sad. He turned his head away from Yami, instead choosing a small spot on the wall to stare at. "When Yugi was in the hospital, the police searched his home. There were no signs of him, he had just packed up and left. And since they couldn't interview him specifically, they couldn't say he did abuse Yugi. So, it just became a cold case."

Yami could feel Joey's radiating hatred. It was easy to tell that it was taking a lot for Joey to maintain his composure. It was obvious to Yami that Jack hadn't just hurt Yugi; he had also, consequently, hurt Joey and Anzu. Yami hated Jack, a man he did not even know. And to hear that the man had gotten away with everything he had done to Yugi made his hatred grow even more.

Yami wanted to kill Jack. How much can you hate someone you don't even know? Yami didn't think it was possible. Maybe it was because of his connection with Yugi, his love for the shy, smart, boy that made this emotion possible. Yami felt his fist clenching.

He heard a strangled sob coming from Anzu. He looked up to see her beautiful blue eyes shimmering with tears.

"Yugi still…" she took a shaky breath and let out a sob, "he still hasn't recovered. The physical wounds were bad, but the emotional….Yugi thinks he's worthless. He thinks he deserved everything that happened to him. I hear him all the time." Anzu looked up and to Yami's dismay, she was _smiling. _It was a broken smile, one that reflected her pain as well as Yugi's and Joey's. "He always says, 'If only I was stronger' or 'If only I didn't feel as much'. The things that make him Yugi…he hates them. He hates himself."

Yami felt his heart clench at the pain Anzu was still feeling for Yugi. "Does Yugi know?" He asked quietly, feeling the tension in the room rise.

Joey sighed. "He knows Jack skipped town. It was ridiculous. When the police came to talk to him, Yugi refused to say anything. He didn't want them to find Jack. He did, however, give his full name weather he meant to or not. That was enough information for the police to find Jack's apartment."

Yami felt confused at Joey's statement. Yugi didn't want Jack to be arrested? Why? He had almost been killed by that man! Why would he have compassion for the man who hurt him? Yami couldn't make sense of it and he spoke his concerns.

"Why wouldn't Yugi want Jack arrested?"

Joey bit his lip. "Yugi tries to protect everybody. Even those who hurt him."

"Why?" Yami couldn't understand it. It was human nature to want revenge against those who hurt you. Why would Yugi deny that part of his existence? Why would he not want justice to be served, to have closure brought to him?

Joey shrugged and let out a small laugh. It was cold and bitter, distant. As though it weren't coming from Joey himself but from some unknown source. "That's the way Yugi's always been. He doesn't like to see anyone in pain. He forgives instantly. Yugi is stupid like that. If he were to be killed, he would forgive his murderer without a second thought. No haunting the bastard, no nothing."

"Yugi holds no grudges," Anzu chimed in, "except for those who hurt his friends."

Yami felt a smile being born at the corners of his mouth. "I still can't believe he stood up to Kaiba like that. I've never seen anyone talk to him like that. Yugi would be the last person I expected to do it."

Joey smirked and rubbed the bottom of his nose. "It was entertaining watching Yugi mop the floor with that bastard." Joey paused for a moment, remembering what had happened just the other day. "What is your affiliation with that guy anyways? He looked like he was going to eat me when I tried to punch you."

Joey spoke of the attempted assault as though it were nothing.

Yami shrugged. "He's my cousin. I work for him."

"That explains a lot."

Yami wanted to ask what that was supposed to mean, but decided against it. He didn't want to anger the blonde any further. He had already been very generous with his willingness to talk about Yugi. But, that didn't matter for now. Right now, all that mattered was trying to help Yugi. And trying to bring justice to him as well.

"What would you do," Yami began to ask hypothetically, "if you ever saw him again? Would you kill him?"

Joey was silent for a moment, and then his eyes darkened and he smiled. It was dark and angry, and Joey let out a despicable laugh. "I wouldn't kill him." He looked up to meet Yami's eyes. At that moment, the older man thought he was staring into the blonde's soul. It was dark, and menacing, but he could also see a spark of humanity in them. "That would let the bastard off to easy. No, I wouldn't kill him. I've already thought about what I would do if I ever saw him again." Joey's smile widened.

"What would that be?"

Joey leaned in so that his face was only a few inches away from Yami's. "I'd _torture _him. I'd tie him up and lock him in a basement. I'd starve him for two weeks, then give him enough food to keep him for another two. I would do everything he did to Yugi. I would make him feel helpless, and worthless. I would make him feel all the pain Yugi felt, I would make him live the hell Yugi lived. And I'd do it until he killed himself."

Yami was taken aback by how sadistic Joey sounded, but he also understood. Joey wanted revenge on Jack, a man who had hurt his friend. Joey was experiencing natural human feelings. Yami wanted to hurt this man too and he had even less of an idea of who he was than Joey did.

Joey stared at Yami for a while and then he sighed. "Let's go." He said, finishing the last of his tea and standing up. "We told you what we know. You are not to tell Yugi we told you." Joey paused for a moment, a flash of despair showing in his eyes. "He doesn't like people worrying over him. He doesn't like being treated like a baby."

For some reason, Yami felt like something more had happened between Joey and Yugi than the blonde let on. Yugi complained about his friends treating him like a baby, and here was Joey, saying the same thing.

"Thank you." Yami said as he got to his feet. "For telling me. I appreciate it. And I appreciate you allowing me to see Yugi."

Joey smirked. "Don't get too eager, buddy. Remember, I got my eye on you." He walked up to Anzu and said good bye to her, and thanked her for the tea. She said nothing, but nodded. Yami followed him outside, where they said nothing. They stood there for a moment before Joey sighed.

"You can go now." He said and started walking away. It was the opposite direction of his house, Yami noticed.

"Wait!" He called, "Where are you going?"

"I have something I need to do." Joey said, but didn't turn around. Instead he continued to walk down the pavement, away from Yami.

The older man paused and chewed on his lip for a moment. He had no idea what it could be Joey had to do, but he decided not to dwell on it. Instead, he turned around and began to walk back to the apartment complex so he could retrieve his car and leave.

-0-0-0-0-0-

Yugi groaned as he turned in his bed, pulling the sheets tighter around him. His head was still throbbing and the smallest hint of light caused an intense headache. He could feel his pulse pounding in his temples and he just buried his head further into his pillow.

'I'm so stupid' He thought groggily. This was the worst headache he ever had. He couldn't believe he let himself get drunk, and in the middle of the sidewalk too. What if something had happened? Then again, he didn't care if something had happened. His life wasn't anything worth living. He wouldn't upset his friends any further by trying to hurt himself, but that didn't mean he had to be happy about living.

Joey had left a while ago. What had he said? Yugi couldn't remember, but it probably wasn't something important. In fact, it was better with Joey was gone. The blonde was still pissed about last night's binge drinking episode. How could he have let that happen, Yugi thought. How could he do something so stupid, so immature? He had never touched alcohol before last night, why would he do it so suddenly?

Oh yeah…He had fought with Joey. He had hurt Joey's feelings and wanted to forget about it all together. The alcohol was his ticket to memory loss. He had heard of people who used drinking as a way to deal with their problems in the real world. Yugi wanted that. He wanted to self-medicate. It was so easy getting stuff like that in this area. Nobody cared about age. If you just had enough money you could anything. Hell, he could've something a lot worse than Moonshine if he wanted too. It would've been so easy to have traded in that bottle for any kind of illicit drug, or some narcotics.

Yugi shifted slightly and got out of his bed, walking over to the bathroom. He shut the door tightly behind him and leaned on it for a moment, still groggy. He forced himself over towards the vanity where he braced himself against the sink, taking in heavy breaths. He turned on the facuet, scooping on some water with his hand and drinking it slowly, trying to get rid of the burning sensation in his throat. He splashed some on his face and dabbed it dry with a nearby towel.

Yugi flinched when he heard the sound of a door opening and slamming. It had to be Joey. Anxious to apologize for the fight earlier, Yugi flung open the bathroom door, running into the living room.

"Joey!" Yugi called, "Joe—"

He was cut off when he spotted his blonde friend. Joey was in the kitchen, holding a wet paper towel to his head. He leaned against the sink and hissed in pain. Yugi could see red beginning to stain the towel.

"Joey…" Yugi whispered, walking closer to his friend, "what happened?"

Joey turned towards Yugi, grunting slightly. "Some ass threw a rock at my head, that's what happened." His voice was rough and tired sounding.

"Are you okay? Do you need to go to the hospital?" Yugi questioned, observing just how much blood was soaking through the paper. He had to breathe slowly in order to keep himself from becoming sick. He hated the sight of blood. Any time he saw it, no matter what the amount was, it made him nauseous.

"I'll be fine." Joey assured, peeling back the towel. Yugi couldn't see the gash, but he could see Joey's blonde hair a bloody mess. "I was just walking back home when –Bam!- someone threw a rock the size of my fist at me."

"Did you see them?"

Joey shook his head. "By the time I realized what had happened, they were gone. And I was alone on the street. No one else was there."

Yugi grimaced, trying to ignore the gruesome sight of blood he was facing. Joey looked pale and like he was about to throw up himself.

"I'm gonna go clean this up." Joey said, throwing away his bloodied towel. He walked past Yugi and into the bathroom. Yugi stayed behind, watching Joey enter the bathroom. He sighed and walked over to his bedroom, feeling his hangover acting up again. He closed his door behind him and walked over to his bed. He was about to lay down in his bed and go to sleep when he heard a beeping sound.

It had been his phone. Yugi frowned and dug into his pocket, pulling out his cellular device. Nobody had his number besides Joey and Anzu…it had to be a wrong number. Yugi flipped open his phone, ready to see what the text message was.

His heart stopped as he began to read it.

-0-0-0-0-0-

**Sucky chapter, I know. But from now on, things will begin to heat up. Also, this is the last update for a few weeks. I have finals next week, and then will at once go on vacation with the family. I'll bring my computer with me, so I'll be able to write, but I won't have reliable internet.**

** That being said, I will try very hard to finish the story while on break. Then, I will update daily. I want to thank you guys for being so patient with me. You're the best. **


	15. Star Gazing

**I'm still working on this story, and my Internet connection is currently lousy, but I decided to update just because it felt like it had been too long. Not much to say here, but there is something extremely important at the bottom. Please, pay attention to it. **

-0-0-0-0-

Yugi had to force himself to breathe as he still clutched the phone tightly in his hand.

'It's okay,' he thought to himself, trying to ignore the blur of words on the screen of his phone. 'It's okay, you don't know who this is, and you're overreacting. It could just be a wrong number.'

Shakily, Yugi flipped open his phone and was forced to read the text message again.

_No more hiding. No more playing these stupid games. Let's finish what we started. _

Yugi prayed to any god that could possibly be listening to him at that moment. 'Don't let it be him,' he thought, feeling his chest tighten, 'please don't let it be him.'

His thumbs couldn't move fast enough, but before he knew it, he had composed his reply message and had already sent it.

_Who are you?_

Now it was just a matter of waiting.

As he waited, Yugi allowed his mind to wander. Joey said his accident was just that, but Yugi had a hard time believing that. Someone had purposely thrown a rock at his head, and it wasn't just some stunt pulled by a kid. The kids around the area were smarter than that. They knew that if they hurt someone, that person would hurt them in return. It was the circle of life and everyone was street smart.

Yugi hesitated to think that it could have been Jack that had hurt Joey. As far as he knew, the man dropped off the face of the Earth, never to be seen again. Jack was gone. Why would he come back after a year of absence? It didn't make sense. Yugi had no desire to see his ex after all this time, not after what he had endured. But, if Jack _was_ back, and if it was Jack that hurt his friend…Yugi couldn't just sit back and do nothing. Nobody hurt his friends. He would die before he allowed that to happen.

His phone beeped and vibrated, and Yugi's hand went for it instantly. He flipped it open, reading the reply he had received.

_Does it matter? _

Yugi chewed on his lip. This was sounding more and more like Jack. The older man had a habit of answering a question with a question to avoid giving anything about himself away. Yugi needed answers though. If his friends' lives were in danger, he needed to know why and from whom. He needed to be able to protect them, just like they had protected him. Joey and Anzu had sacrificed so much for him these past few years. They had put up with him and his memory problems and his depression. They did things they didn't need to do. They could have easily left, leaving him alone by himself to deal with his problems.

But they didn't. They stayed. They stayed and they helped him recover. They were there for every nightmare, for every wound and scar. They would always be there to help him. Now it was time for him to return the favor. Yugi started texting back a response to this mystery person.

_Did you hurt my friend?_

Yugi looked up to see that Joey was still in the bathroom. His head hadn't been bleeding badly, but it was unlikely he could handle it on his own. He needed something more than a band-aid to dress the wound. He probably needed stitches. Joey was stubborn though, and had already refused to go to the hospital. Yugi sighed. He hoped that they wouldn't have to go. Joey wasn't as stupid as people thought he was. If the bleeding didn't stop, he would go to the hospital. He just didn't want too.

And Yugi couldn't blame him. They both had enough of hospitals in these last few months to want anything to do with them.

Yugi's phone beeped again. The text message icon appeared on his screen. He read the new message.

_Yes. _

Yes? That was the only answer he got? Yes? It was such a simple answer, but it spoke mountains to Yugi. Whoever was on the other end of this phone knew what he had done and had no remorse. He wasn't making any excuses, or trying to deny the fact. He admitted it openly and quickly.

Perhaps he was lying. Yugi couldn't see his face or his voice. But why would someone falsely confess to something if they weren't facing their accuser? The only logical explanation was that this person was telling the truth. And the truth infuriated Yugi.

_Why?_

His fingers pressed hard on the keys before sending the message. His anger was rising. How could someone show no remorse for hurting another human being? How could someone even think of hurting another human being, especially when they gained nothing from it, except for the knowledge that they hurt someone? Yugi knew there were crappy people out in the World. He had learned that the hard way. But, in all darkness there is a ray of light. Nobody could be completely evil. There was good in everybody.

So why would someone hurt Joey, a stranger? Yugi's phone beeped again.

_To teach you a lesson._

That made Yugi's heart stop. What did it mean by, 'teach him a lesson'? Then it came to him. This person was made at him. And to get to Yugi, he was targeting Joey. Yugi looked up and could hear the blonde murmuring to himself inside the bathroom. Not enough to make out words, but enough to know that he was still alive. Yugi looked back down at the words on the screen. Only one person had ever used to words to him, and it was the one person he wished, he prayed he wasn't talking too. He had prayed with all his might that this was just a wrong number, or even better, a prank. But deep down he knew it wasn't. Yugi couldn't fool himself. He knew who he was talking too.

_Jack._

He replied. He didn't even bother putting it into a question because he knew it was Jack. There wasn't a doubt in his mind. His ex- boyfriend had found him and was going after him again. Only this time, instead of targeting him directly, he was going after Joey and Anzu. Yugi took a shaky breath. He was fairly sure that neither one of his friends had even ever met Jack. After he moved in with the older man, Yugi was kept almost a prisoner. He rarely saw his friends for that one year, he was positive that Jack had never met them. He never seemed that interested in hearing about them either. Whenever Yugi brought up a story about his friends, or arranged an evening with them, Jack seemed to care less.

So how could he know who Joey and Anzu were?

Then it struck Yugi, and the thought almost made him physically ill. Jack had never left town. He had changed his appearance, and had been stalking him for this past year. That's how he had gotten to know who Joey and Anzu were.

Yugi suddenly remembered his date with Yami. There had been a man standing outside the window. Yugi had thought he looked like Jack, but couldn't be sure. The only similarity the man shared with Jack were the icy blue eyes.

But it was enough. Because it had been Jack. Jack had a warrant out for his arrest. He needed to change his appearance in order to avoid police. So he had dyed his hair.

Yugi tried to remember what else Jack had changed. He remembered seeing scars on his face. Had Jack given those to himself, or had that been damage Yugi had done the night of the incident? Regardless, it was still another change Jack had that would make him less likely to be spotted by the police.

Yugi's phone beeped again.

_Took you long enough, baby. _

Yugi could smell the malice that was hidden beneath that last word. The hate was evident and it was obvious that Jack was using the once, endearing term, sarcastically. Yugi felt mad at his ex for even implying that they were still, or even had a chance of being something more than just strangers. That's what they had become, wasn't it? Strangers? What they always had been. They knew each other's name, but that had been all they knew. Jack had pretended to be a sweet, kind, caring person, but it was all a façade. Yugi had learned what Jack really was.

_I'm not your baby. _

Yugi texted back, trying to fight back tears. This was too much. He thought he was done with Jack. He was positive he would never hear from the man again. He had done nothing but cause pain to Yugi and his friends. Yugi shouldn't be talking to him. He should have told Joey already, have called the police. They could track this number, right?

Wrong, Yugi thought. Jack wasn't stupid. He was probably using a stolen phone, or a disposable one to send these messages. He would do anything to cover up his tracks. Jack was a genius when it came to thinking ahead. He probably knew that Yugi would avoid calling the police.

Jack replied back. _Still sensitive I see. _

Jack was talking everything so carelessly, it only added to Yugi's anger more. He wanted some kind of reaction out of the man, not total indifference. Because indifference meant that he didn't care at all what happened, or what went on.

And Yugi wished he did.

He texted back wanting answers. He wanted to know why he attacked Joey, and if he was planning on attacking Anzu, if he already hadn't. Yugi couldn't live with himself if his friends were being attacked and hunted down like animals, while he stood twiddling his thumbs, doing nothing.

But how could he tell Joey what he knew? The blonde would be beyond pissed if he knew Jack had come in contact with him. Yugi couldn't do that to his friends. He needed to know more about Jack, where he was, so he could deal with Jack on his own. Like he should have the first time.

_Where are you? What do you want?_

The message left Yugi's phone, going over to Jack. Yugi could still hear Joey's shuffling feet in the bathroom. He had been in there for a while, and Yugi was getting worried. He pocketed his phone and walked up to the door, knocking on it.

"Joey?" Yugi called, leaning his ear onto the wood to hear Joey's words better. "Joey, are you okay? Do you need to go the hospital?"

"I'm fine, Yug," Joey's voice came, though it sounded shaky to Yugi. "I've got the bleeding to stop, I'm just cleaning up."

"Do you need help?" Yugi didn't think it would take this long to clean up a wound unless it was really bad. Joey probably did need stitches, and he was just to stubborn to admit it. Yugi couldn't see Joey, so he couldn't make his own opinion, but he hoped Joey wasn't underestimating his injury.

"I'll be fine, Yugi. Look, I'm coming out now."

Yugi backed away from the door, and Joey opened it. Yugi had to stop himself from gasping at the sight of his friend. Joey had a white bandage wrapped around his head. His hair was large and thick, so the wrapping was lopsided and already stained with blood. Joey's left eye was purple and swollen shut. All in all, he looked like crap.

"I know, I know," Joey said, seeing the look in Yugi's eyes, "I look like shit. But I'm fine."

"Are you sure? Your head is still bleeding."

Joey nodded, but winced at the movement. It had caused another round of pain to come running at his temples. He put a hand to his bandaged head, feeling the throbbing of his temples. "I'm going to bed." He muttered, and then turned around and walked into his bedroom door.

Yugi clenched his teeth. He didn't want to force Joey to go to the hospital, but he probably had a concussion. He couldn't go to sleep if that was the case.

"Joey, wait!" Yugi called, after his friend. "You can't go to sleep, you might have a concussion!"

"I'll be fine, Yug." Came the response.

Yugi wanted to break down the door that stood as a barrier between him and Joey, but he resisted. He wouldn't intrude on Joey's privacy, but he would still keep an eye on the blonde. If Joey wanted to rest for a while, he could. But Yugi was going to constantly check up on him.

His phone vibrated again and Yugi was quick to grab it, anxious to read what his ex had to say next. It had taken him a bit longer to respond, but his reply was longer as well. And as Yugi held the phone tightly in his hand, he felt his heart rate increase.

_Where I am is not important. As for what I want…you'll find that out soon enough. Tell anyone we've been talking and your friend will get more than a rock to his head. I've been watching you, Yugi. _

Yugi pocketed his phone, realizing that this conversation with Jack was over. His heart was pounding. He couldn't wrap his mind around what he had just learned.

Jack had been stalking him. For a year. And now he was after his friends. Yugi couldn't let that happen. Jack could hurt him as much as he wanted, but nobody hurt his friends. The thought of that bastard, watching him, following him, made Yugi's stomach churn. He could feel his stomach doing flips and his throat began to burn.

Yugi ran inside the bathroom where he kneeled in front of the toilet and vomited.

-0-0-0-0-0-

"I didn't even see it comin', Anzu." Joey explained through a mouthful of food. The brunette girl sat beside him on the small modest couch that was in the boys' apartment. She had a small scowl on her face as she tried to examine Joey's wound that was still wrapped poorly in the boy's make-shift bandage.

"Ack," Anzu spat, "hold still."

"Sorry."

Rolling her eyes, Anzu mumbled, "Did you see who threw it? Did you see anything?"

Joey shook his head. "Just a rock bigger than my fist."

Yugi sat quietly on the other couch, watching his friend take care of his roommate. It was a day later, and Joey was still alive, although his was still quieter than normal. It had been hard keeping what he knew a secret. He wanted to spill his gusts, to say he knew who had hurt Joey. But, if he did, then Jack would find out somehow. He always did. And then he would only hurt his friends more.

"Well, that's just odd." Anzu said, which gained the attention of both boys.

Yugi felt all color drain from his face. "W-why?"

"Because," Anzu said as she began to unwrap the bandage around Joey's head, "just yesterday I was working my shift at the diner, and something similar happened."

Yugi could feel his stomach churning again. Had Jack already gotten to Anzu?

"I was in the stock room when all of a sudden all the boxes on the top shelf fell down. They almost buried me alive. I couldn't understand why they would just fall out of nowhere. That shelf has always supported a lot of weight. When I went to examine it, I found that someone had loosened the bolts!"

"You're kidding." Joey said, wincing as Anzu took the last of his bandages off.

Anzu shook her head and bit her lip. "Everybody denied doing it, and I have no evidence to suspect anybody." Anzu placed the bandages beside her and looked at Joey's wound. She touched the bloody gash which earned a hiss from Joey.

"Sorry." She said quickly, pulling her finger away. "It doesn't look too bad. Just put some antibiotic ointment on it and keep it bandaged. It should heal on its own nicely in a few weeks."

Joey gave the brunette his classic stupid grin. "What would we do without you, Anzu?"

"You'd both probably be dead."

Yugi had blocked out everything his friends were saying. He could only hear Anzu's words replaying over in his head. He knew without a doubt that Jack had tried to hurt her too. Yugi clenched his fist. He couldn't stay here and lie bluntly to his friends. (Not saying anything was still lying) He had already lied to them enough these past few weeks. He had to get out of the apartment. He stood up, dusting off his pants before glancing over at his friends.

"I, uh," He stuttered, gaining their attention, "I'm going to go out for a walk for a little bit."

"Okay." Joey said, eye Anzu as she came to him with a glob of ointment on her fingers.

"Damn it, stay still!" She growled as Joey moved away from her touch.

"It hurts!"

"It would hurt less if you would stay still and let me treat this!"

Yugi said nothing as he walked outside the apartment, hearing the door click softly behind him. Yugi sighed and walked down the staircase, only to be stopped by a familiar voice.

"Hey."

Yugi spun around, almost slamming face first into Yami. Yugi clutched his chest, breathing heavily. "Geez," He managed to let out, "you scared me!"

Yami gave him a sympathetic smile. "Sorry." He said. "I just had to see you again."

Yugi let out a nervous laugh. In truth, he was glad to see the older man. He hadn't heard from Yami since the other day when he was dropped off. And Joey had apparently talked with Yami—Yugi had an idea about what—and was afraid of what the blonde might have done to him.

"You're still alive I see." Yugi commented. "Here I thought Joey had killed you."

"He makes a lot of threats, that's for sure."

Yugi smiled. "That's Joey."

Yami returned the smile then looked up at the door Yugi just exited out of. "Where are you going?"

Yugi stuck his hands inside his pant pockets. "Out for a walk."

"It's getting kind of late, isn't it?"

Yugi was silent for a moment and the duo began to walk. After a while, Yugi sighed. "There's somewhere I need to go to. Somewhere special to me."

"Mind if I come?"

"I'd love the company."

Yami couldn't help but notice the way Yugi's demeanor had seemed to change. He had always been shy, but toady he seemed to be even more introverted. Maybe it was the knowledge Yami now possessed. He had spent the last two days mulling over what Joey had told him. He still found it hard to believe that someone, many people, would want to hurt him. Yugi just had a certain aura to him; he was kind and caring. Yami wanted to be around him. He could never dream of hurting him.

Yami wanted to find this Jack person and hurt him. It was the very least he deserved after everything he did to Yugi. Which Yami knew was, in fact, more than Joey had said. Joey had just been a third person, he knew only what he saw and what Yugi told him. He didn't even know what exactly went on the night Yugi was taken to a hospital, only that Jack had moved him into a dirty alleyway.

Yami had to work hard to keep his emotions stable. He had a habit of letting his anger take control of him, and the last thing he needed was to explode in front of Yugi.

Yami looked ahead, following Yugi where he was going. He couldn't imagine where the boy was taking him, but he said it was somewhere special to him. That fact alone meant that Yugi trusted him. It may have been a minuscule amount, but it was still trust.

He saw that they were gradually leaving the city, the buildings behind them becoming tiny in the distant. The sky was beginning to darken, the sun could still be seen setting over the horizon. The well-known cement sidewalk was being replaced by soft green grass. Yami frowned. Why would Yugi be taking him out of the city?

After walking several more yards in silence, Yugi stopped and stared at the sky. Yami stood beside him, also looking up, trying to see what Yugi was so engrossed in. Finally, the younger boy sighed.

"When I was little, I didn't have many friends." Yami felt as though someone had stabbed his heart. "I was never good in sports, so little league was out of the question. And I never really liked talking to people that much. I always stuttered when I met someone new—"

Yami remembered meeting Yugi that night at the diner, and how the boy did indeed stutter. But, he never noticed that it had stopped.

"—And I could always feel my face flush. People would always laugh and make fun of me. But, even though I didn't have many friends, I did have my dad. He was always there for me, reading to me, or playing the games other kids wouldn't play with me. We had a nightly ritual. Every night after dinner, we would go out to the backyard and he would read to me. Then, we would just look at the stars."

Yugi went quiet for a moment and then let out a broken laugh.

"We would make up our own constellations. I had made up a dog one, and my dad would always find duel monsters ones."

Yugi wrapped his arms around himself, even though it wasn't cold. In fact, Yami thought, it was actually fairly humid.

"My dad was my best friend, Yami. He was there for me, always. He would be there to comfort me when the other kids were being mean to me. He told me I could do anything I wanted too. When he died…"

Yugi paused and swallowed a lump that had grown in his throat. Crystal tears fell down his cheeks, leaving marks on his face. He hung his face down for a moment, letting his blonde bangs shield his eyes. He let out a labored breath, and then, brought his head back up, showing no fear in letting Yami see him break down.

"When he _died…_" His voice cracked as he spoke, "I felt like my life was over. Here I was, a little kid, not even in school yet, and my whole life was changing. I was moving to a new home, to a new city, going to leave with a grandfather I had only met once before. I had a new room, living in a house with new rules. But most importantly, I was living without my dad, the only person who had ever made me feel like I was worth something.

"It took a few weeks, but I soon realized that my grandpa was there for me. He was a lot like my dad in many ways. He loved games too, and even taught me duel monsters. I had asked my dad many times before, but he always said I was too young…My grandfather soon became a replacement for my dad. I knew he loved me, and I loved him. And for a while, my life seemed to be turning around. I went to school and began to make friends who have been there for me through everything."

Yami felt his heart rate slow down. Yugi was smart, he had no doubt about that. And it seemed that Yugi was just about to show how smart he was.

"And then, just when I thought my life was perfect, my grandfather died. And I went through hell all over again."

More tears fell down Yugi's cheeks, but his breathing had steadied.

"They wanted to send me to an orphanage. It would have required relocating to Tokyo. I had already lost my grandfather, and now they wanted to take me away from my friends. I wasn't going to let that happen. I ran away the day I was supposed to go to Tokyo. I left my grandfather's home, the home that had been my home for nearly ten years, and I ran away.

"I spent the next year living wherever I could. Joey and Anzu did all they could to help. I couldn't stay with either one of them. Joey's dad…Joey didn't want me around his dad, and Anzu's parents would've called CPS. So the only way I could stay with them was the be homeless."

A bitter smile came to Yugi's face and Yami found himself horrified by the sight. The smile looked devious, but it was also broken.

"Then one day, I met this man. He was so nice at first. I thought I was in love…And then life decided to mess with me some more."

Yugi turned around and faced Yami. "I know you know." He said, his eyes meeting Yami's. They didn't waver once. "What else would Joey have told you? So, now you know the truth. What are you going to do with it?"  
>Yami found himself stunned by the question. It was an odd one to ask, and he couldn't help but wonder why Yugi would've asked it. And then it hit me.<p>

'He thinks I'm going to leave him.' Yami thought. It made sense. Yugi had already lost two people very close to him, but…that had been different. They had died. Death was a part of nature that could not be avoided. Yugi had to accept that they died. But, how could he accept that someone, a friend, had left him? Abandoned him? But he was already expecting it. The look in his eyes made that clear. Yugi thought that Yami was going to never want to see him again.

Knowing that thought was floating around in the boy's mind only made Yami want him more.

"I want to help you." Yami said. He saw the flash of surprise that appeared in Yugi's eyes.

"What?" He said, his voice barely a whisper.

"I want to help you." Yami repeated, slightly louder. "I want you to forget everything that bastard told you and I want to help you see yourself as I see you." Yami walked closer to Yugi and took the boy's hands in his own. He could feel Yugi flinch slightly, but soon he relaxed. He looked up into Yami's eyes, tears still filling his.

Yami brushed back Yugi's bangs behind his ears, not avoiding the boy's star struck gaze. "You are an intelligent, kind, strong young man. You have been my only thought these few weeks I have known you. I have never seen eyes more beautiful than yours, they haunt my every waking moment and fill my dreams. Yugi, I love you. Your friends love you. There is no way your father or grandfather could have not loved you. Why do you let yourself be haunted by what one person said?"

Yugi didn't answer, but Yami found himself slowly leaning into Yugi. And Yugi began to lean closer to Yami.

And when their lips touched, sparks flew. Yami felt his hand crawling up to Yugi's shoulder, and he gripped it, pulling the younger boy closer to him. He felt Yugi's hand reach up and wrap around his neck.

Yami wished that this moment would never end. Yami felt himself take a step back, but he lost his footing. He went tumbling down the hill behind him, taking Yugi with him. The two rolled down the grassy hill, each letting out small grunts every now and then.

They soon reached the bottom, and sat up, Yami looking over to Yugi.

"Are you okay?"

Yugi nodded, and then let out a small laugh. He laid back onto the grass and was still laughing. Yami found himself amused at Yugi's happiness, but couldn't imagine why. They both were a little bruised from their fall.

"What's so funny?"

Yugi's laughs slowly died down and he turned his head to face Yami. "Just a moment ago…I felt like crap. But now, it's like I'm on cloud nine!"

"That's the adrenaline," Yami said before he realized what he was saying, "can't take a fall like that and not have your blood pumping."

Yami looked up at the sky and saw that they stars were out. There were millions of them scattered across the sky. Yami found himself amazed by them. He had never spent much time out of the city. Often times, there were so many lights on even at night that not even a single star could be seen. But here, just right outside the city, they filled the entire sky.

Seeing them in the millions, made Yami feel small and helpless. It made him feel like nothing and everything at the same time. It was a wondrous feeling.

He looked over at Yugi who had the biggest smile on his face. Yugi pointed up at the sky. "That's one of the constellations my dad found."

Yami looked up to where Yugi was pointing, but couldn't find the exact spot.

"He always called it Kuriboh."

Yami remembered Yugi defeating Kaiba with a Kuriboh. Was that why the small monster was so sentimental to Yugi? Because it had been sentimental to his dad?

Yami looked up at the stars and saw a group of them clustered together in an odd shape. "Look there." He said, mimicking Yugi's hand. "It looks like a pyramid."

"Like the ones in Egypt?"

"Yeah."

"Speaking of Egypt," Yugi said, "look over there. It's the Eye of Horus."

"I suppose it is."

The two of them laid there for what felt like hours, but was only about twenty minutes. They laid there, finding their own constellations, laughing, telling stories of their lives before they met.

And to Yami, it felt like Heaven on Earth.

-0-0-0-0-

**There! Just for the people who wanted fluff! It's a compromise: you get the fluff, along with some angst! **

** Now on a more serious note…The site is planning on deleting thousands of stories for either being 'too violent' or for even implying sexual scenarios. There is a petition posted up, and I've put the link on my profile—please sign it! Otherwise your stories, my stories, and your friends stories could be deleted! **


	16. Files

**I hate the Image Manager. That's all I've got to say—I. Hate. Image. Manager.**

** Sage: You're such a whiny bitch.**

** I bet I am. **

-0-0-0-0-

Yami walked Yugi home that evening. It seemed like a very cliché chick flick to the teenager. He and his love interest were standing just outside his door, facing each other awkwardly.

"Tonight was fun." Yugi said, shyly turning his head away from Yami.

"It was." Yami put his hand against Yugi's cheek and used it to turn the boy's head towards him. Yami was beyond ecstatic at how this night had turned out. Yugi had trusted him enough to reveal parts of his past. They had spent a long time lying on the grass, staring at the stars. They laughed. It had been a wonderful night, one Yami wished would never end. But, he knew it eventually would. Still, he had earned more of Yugi's trust, which was invaluable.

"Thank you." Yami whispered.

"For what?"

"For trusting me. For giving me a wonderful night. It means a lot, more than you could ever imagine."

Yugi raised a hand and wrapped it around Yami's wrist, the one that was against his cheek. "I think I can." He replied quietly.

They leaned into each other and their lips touched. They stayed like that for several seconds, and Yugi thought that this was becoming even more like a chick flick. But he didn't care. He was loving every moment of this.

Suddenly, a bright light came out, surprising the duo. They separated and looked towards the door, only to see a very angry Joey.

"Alright you two, break it up." He said, getting between them. "Seriously, you guys are making me sick with all this lovey-dovey crap."

"Joey, don't be jealous." Yugi said playfully, rolling his eyes.

Yami smiled. Things appeared to have worked out between the two friends.

"The only thing I'm jealous of is everyone who doesn't have to watch you two with each other's tongues down your throats."

"Come on, Joey. Don't you think you're over exaggerating?"

"No, you're under exaggerating. Now get inside before I drag your butt in here."

Yugi laughed slightly and looked towards Yami. He waved his hand. "Night, Yami." He called, then turned around and ran inside his apartment.

"Night Yugi."

Joey looked over at Yami and gave a small nod. "Thanks for looking out for him. He walked out some time ago and I was getting worried."

Yami gave an understanding nod. "He told me of his father, and his early life."

"He did?"

"Yeah. We looked at the stars for a while. He said he and his father used to do it every night."

Joey whistled and then scratched the back of head. "You sir, are one lucky bastard."

Yami raised an eyebrow, unsure of what the blonde was saying. "Excuse me?"

Joey shook his head. "It's just that…Yugi's connecting to you. In a way he hasn't connected with me. And I've known him for ten years. He trusts you. You should treasure that."

"I do."

"Good. Because he's the nicest person I've ever known. And people have used that against him. I don't know why, but people have always told him that his kinndess was a weakness. They would tell him that he was naïve and stupid. The irony is that Yugi kindness was his strength, and they were the weak ones. They would use their physical strength against Yugi. And even though people have always been mean to him, he still trusts a little too easily."

Joey sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "The point is Yugi's trust is special. I want you to value that. He doesn't need any more shit in his life."

Yami nodded his head in agreement. He still couldn't understand how Yugi could be as sweet as he was, considering everything he had gone through in his life. He had to deal with things not even most adults had to deal with. It wasn't fair. Life wasn't fair for anybody, but it seemed to really hate Yugi.

"I promise," Yami said slowly, "I will not hurt Yugi. His trust, his friendship, it's priceless to me."

"Good." Joey said, slapping Yami on the back. "Because," he said, pausing for a small laugh, "I'm still serious about what I said to you earlier. You hurt him, I'll make sure they never find your body."

"I believe you." Yami said without thinking. He couldn't believe Joey was still on this. Yami wasn't never going to hurt Yugi. But, he could see where Joey was coming from. It must have been hard watching Yugi get hurt continuously throughout their childhood. It was a harsh realitly. Joey was still too young to know about how cruel the world was. He wasn't even of drinking age and yet, he had almost witnessed a close friend die.

It wasn't fair.

"Good boy." Joey said, smiling. "I'll see you around." Joey waved good-bye and then stepped inside his apartment. He closed the door behind him. Joey looked around his less than modest apartment and saw Yugi sitting on the couch, eyes closed, smiling peacefully.

Joey couldn't help but smile as well. His closest friend was happy. That made him happy. After everything that had transpired within the last few years with the two of them, they deserved whatever little happiness they could find. Joey walked up to Yugi and sat down beside him, touching his shoulder.

"So…" Joey started, intent on annoying Yugi, "how'd it go?"

Yugi opened his eyes, slightly glaring at Joey. "Is this a test?"

Joey shrugged, removing his hand. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well," Yugi started, "You don't like him. It seems like a trick question asking me, 'how it went'. Either you'll get mad by what I do tell you, or you'll get mad at what I don't tell you."

"You've thought this through, haven't you?"

"I've had a lot of time to think"

Joey cringed slightly, and took a deep breath. "All right, Yuge, here's the deal. I didn't like him. Not when he showed up on the doorstep late one night with you. I jumped to conclusions I probably shouldn't have. I'm sorry. But, you have to understand, Yugi. You're my best friend. For as long as I've known you, it seems everyone has tried to hurt you. And, it pissed me off."

Joey tried hard to fight back angry tears.

"It really pissed me off. You never did anything to anyone and people still thought they had the right to hurt you, just because you were smaller. When Grampa died, it seemed like the world was just giving you the biggest middle finger ever. I watched you struggle being homeless just because you didn't want to leave us. I couldn't understand why you did that. And then you know what happens next."

Joey stopped for a moment to try and regain his composure. He hated crying. Yugi was always more open with his emotions, and Joey had no problem with that. But, his father had always told him that only weak people cried. If he ever wanted to be a true man, he would need never shed a tear, no matter what happened.

Joey left his father the first chance he got and never looked back. He had tried hard to forget everything the drunk told him, but it was hard. Joey had been living alone with the man since he was eight. Joey got emancipated when he was seventeen. He lived with his father for nine years.

Some things were just hard to forget.

"I waited by your hospital bed for three days. And I swore to myself I would never let anyone hurt you again. And I did my best to keep that promise. And when I saw him that night…it was Jack all over again."

Several tears fell down Joey's cheeks, staining them.

"Oh Joey…" Yugi said softly, tears beginning to fall from his eyes as well. "I'm sorry."

Joey wiped his eyes with his sleeve. "What the hell are you sorry for?"

"I never knew you felt that way, Joey. If I had—"

"Let's not worrying with 'what ifs', Yugi." Joey interrupted. "Like you said, what's done is done. You're happy now and I'm happy for you. That's all that matters now."

Yugi smiled. "Thanks Joey. What would I do without you?" He said jokingly.

Joey shrugged, smirking slightly. "God knows. Probably living in a shitty apartment with a dead end job, going nowhere in life, coming to the slow conclusion that you'll probably die the same way you live—"

"All right, all right." Yugi said, laughing slightly. "I get it. My life would be the exact same without you. Good to know."

"Yup."

They stayed up talking for the rest of night.

-0-0-0-0-0-

Yugi had forgotten all about the texts from Jack until he walked into his room late last night. He had been having such a nice time with Yami earlier, had was happy to have connected deeper with Yami, that he had totally taken his mind off the dreaded subject.

But as he walked into his small bedroom, and felt the vibration of his phone in his pocket, his froze. He swallowed a lump in his throat, unsure of whether or not he should check it. He didn't want to hear—or read—what his oh lovely ex had to say to him. Especially since he had hurt Joey and Anzu.

Yugi closed his eyes tight. He was still unsure of whether or not he should tell his friends that Jack was after them. The older man told him not too, that he would only hurt them worse if he did. But Yugi didn't want to see them get hurt period. It was the lesser of two evils paradox. Either Yugi said nothing and his friends got hurt, or he said something and his friends got really hurt, or worse, killed. Yugi swallowed a lump in his throat. He couldn't risk that happening.

He took out his phone and opened the screen already dreading the message that would on it.

_Have fun tonight?_

Yugi felt his hand tremble and he struggled to reply hastily to the message. He couldn't get the one dreadful idea out of his mine, but there could only be one reasonable conclusion for the question he was asked. Jack had been watching him and Yami.

The feeling alone was enough to repulse Yugi. Jack had never respected personal, and private, boundaries before, but this was ridiculous. He was so dead set on getting whatever sort of revenge he was after that he was willing to stalk Yugi. Yugi gulped. He had no idea why Jack was out to get revenge in the first place. He got away with his crime. Yugi knew little about what went on with the police investigation; he had refused to press charges and the police seemed uninterested in pursuing a case that the victim didn't want. It was a cold case.

But, for some reason, Jack wanted revenge. And he was willing to go to any lengths to achieve it.

Yugi hastily texted his reply.

_What do you want?_

He waited anxiously for Jack to respond. After several agonizing seconds, he got a response.

_To see you suffer._

Yugi exhaled. The reply wasn't anything surprising. Jack always had a soft of fetish for making people worry, so that when the punishment did actually come, it felt worse than it actually was.

Worriedly, Yugi texted back his reply.

_Haven't I already?_

He held his breath anxiously as he awaited the reply. He really was curious to see how Jack would respond. These days he only could salvage bad memories of his year with the older man. He remembered every ugly word, every nasty bruise. Jack was never fine with anything unless he was in control, which was what the entire relationship had been revolved around. Jack had simply wanted to be in control of someone.

At least that's what Yugi hoped it was. Something deep down inside of him, some innate instinct, told him that Jack had something more deadly planned from the very start. It explained nearly everything. Why Jack asked him out of nowhere, why he was so eager for the two of them to move in together, and why….

And why the abuse started so suddenly. Yugi shuddered at the memory of his first black eye, but it had been incredibly eye opening for Yugi.

His eyes were opened through a black eye. He couldn't help but laugh at the irony.

Yugi had tried to convince himself that it had only been an accident. But, after several more 'accidents' Yugi had to come face to face with the truth.

He was in an abusive relationship.

His phone beeped and Yugi flipped open the phone, scared, but eager, to see the reply.

_No._

His heart dropped into his stomach. That's all the reply he got? He lived with the man for a year, suffered every blow, every string of curse words, and he didn't suffer? Yugi turned his phone off. He wasn't encouraged to try and continue conversation with Jack. The man was completely mad. Not only had he tried to hurt Yugi, but now he was after Yugi's friends.

And Yugi was helpless to do or say anything, because if he did, things would only get worse. Jack was holding Joey and Anzu hostage. And he knew about Yami. He was now holding Yami hostage, weather he knew about it or not. Yugi couldn't do anything.

He climbed into bed, not bothering to change out of his clothes. He was tired. He was tired of living in fear of his ex. He was tired of being a burden to his friends. He was tired of everything life fucking with him at every opportunity.

But mostly, he was tired of being helpless.

-0-0-0-0-0-

Joey sat on his bed, legs crossed. In front of him lay a manila folder, untouched. He knew he needed to open it, but he was scared. It had been a pain just getting this.

After he had his talk with Yami and Anzu, Joey decided to go to the court house to get some documents regarding the case the police had filed against Jack. He got the file easily, being Yugi's guardian, and on his way home someone had beaned him with a rock.

Joey winced and put his hand to his head at the memory. Anzu had done a good job of cleaning up the wound, but it still was sore.

Joey had been eyeing this file for about half an hour now, and he knew that he needed to read it tonight. Sighing, Joey reached forward and grabbed the folder, pulling it into his lap. He opened the folder, and saw a large stack of papers inside.

Joey began to read.

_ Yugi Motou (16) came into Domino Memorial Hospital at 11:30 pm Friday, June 17. The teenager arrived, unconscious, with several bruises and cuts on his upper body and face, along with a broken skull, fingers, and wrist. Mister Motou then had a cat scan to determine his unconscious state and a brain bleed was found. He was rushed into emergency surgery._

_ While Mister Motou was in surgery, one of the officers, Daisuke Alberts, questioned a Mister Joey Wheeler, who had called the ambulance earlier that night._

_ Q: How are you and Mister Motou related?_

_ A: We're friends._

_ Q: How long have you been friends?_

_ A: Close to ten years now._

_ Q: Hmm, Mister Wheeler, tell me. What were you doing earlier tonight?_

_ A: Nothing much. I was working earlier today, but I arrived home at around dinner. That was when Yugi called me._

_ Q: He called you? What about?_

_ A: He said he was having a fight with his boyfriend. He asked if he could spend a few nights at my place while things settled down._

_ Q: And you agreed?_

_ A: Of course. He's my best friend and I hadn't seen a lot of him lately._

_ Q: If he's you're 'best friend' why hadn't you seen him?_

_ A: I….I don't know. Ever since he moved in with his boyfriend, he's pulled away. Yugi and I, along with another friend, have made plans several times. Dinner, movies. And he'll just not show up. No call, no nothing. I had tried to call him several times during this period, but he never answered. _

_ Q: What was the longest you went without contact with him?_

_ A: Two months…I think. Tonight was the first time he called me in two months._

_ Q: And you were hoping to rebuild a friendship?_

_ A: Yes, of course._

_ Q: What did you and Mister Motou agree on?_

_ A: I told him he could come anytime he wanted. He said he would try to be at my place at seven._

_ Q: And?_

_ A: And…nine o clock came and went. He didn't show. Nine-thirty. Nothing. I tried calling him, but he didn't answer. So, at ten, I went out looking for him. I searched for two hours. _

_ Q: And what happened from there?_

_ A: *pause* I searched all over the city, calling his name, trying his phone. I eventually started heading over to the apartment complex he shared with his boyfriend. I had never been there, I didn't know which room was his, but I knew the area._

_ Q: What did you find?_

_ A:…..Him, in an alleyway. He was unconscious and his head was bleeding. I called the ambulance as fast as I could and now…we're here._

_ Q: Mister Wheeler, you've mentioned multiple times Mister Motou's 'boyfriend' as you put it. Do you believe he would do this?_

_ A: I wouldn't put it past him._

_ Q: What do you know about him? I think it would be in everyone's best interest for us to question him as well._

_ A: Not much. I know his name's Jack. Anything else you're going to have to ask Yugi._

_ Q: I understand. Thank you, Mister Wheeler, for your time._

_ Doctors had stopped the bleeding in Mister Motou's head, but unfortunately he had fallen into a coma. Doctors allowed us to take fingerprints from Mister Motou, and we found something quite shocking. Underneath his fingernails were small pieces of skin—presumably from his attacker. He had acquired them whilst trying to defend himself._

_ We ran a DNA scan on these pieces of skin and discovered something more shocking. The DNA did not match anyone held within the police records of recorded criminals. Instead, it matched the DNA found on several crime scenes within the last few years. This DNA had been found on several crime scenes of animal torture—dogs with stab wounds, cats with their tails cut off, along with several other similar crimes. The exact same DNA was also found on a piece of rope that had been used to strangle 17 year old Amanda Smith three years ago, and on a bat that had been used to bludgeon 15 year old Jackie Sawyer five years ago. Both remain cold cases to this day._

_ It seemed that Mister Motou had fallen victim to a murderer, but had not died. Our main suspect was the boyfriend, but we had no way of contacting him. And when we learned that Mister Motou had a job at a diner, we had to lessen our suspicions. He could have picked up the DNA from working his shift, touching plates and drinks that been touched by many other people._

_ Mister Motou awoke from his coma three days later, but doctors ordered that we wait at least another few before confronting him. He refused to say who had attacked him, but he did give us the name of his boyfriend. Jack Daniels. He didn't say any more after that, not even with probing from his friends. But we were able to use the name to find the apartment he and Yugi shared._

_ The entire apartment was cleaned out. No furniture, or any papers indicating where he might have moved. The landlord said he moved out earlier that week. The day after Mister Motou was hospitalizied. _

_ The evidence was stacking up against Mister Daniels, but without being able to locate him, there was little we could do. _

_ To this day Jack still hasn't been found, although there is a warrant for his arrest on Domestic Violence charges. The case has since gone cold. _

Joey bit the inside of his lip, trying to prevent hot tears from falling. He had never seen this file before—he knew it existed, but had never asked for it. He still wasn't quite sure why he had went over to the court house and asked for it. He just felt compelled to do so.

Of course the near concussion he received shortly afterwards had done nothing to help him reach his conclusion. Joey reached up and touched the injury, wincing. It still hurt. He had given up on finding out who had thrown the rock at him. The world was full of assholes and it could've been anybody.

Getting back to the file, Joey sighed. Reading this file was living the experience all over again. Joey remembered when the police told him what they found out of the DNA. He was disgusted. There wasn't a doubt in his mind that the DNA came from anyone other than Jack. The police had said they backed Joey's theory, but without a DNA sample from Jack himself, they had no proof that it was him.

Joey had kept the news of Jack from Yugi. Yugi needed to recover, and the last thing he needed to hear was that he had been living with an animal slaughtering serial killer for a year.

What was worse was the conclusion Joey had come too. Jack had targeted Yugi from the start.

Jack had planned Yugi's murder from the moment the blonde bastard spotted him.

Joey still didn't know the details of what had happened the night Yugi was hospitalizied. Yugi still refused to say anything of it. But Joey had done his best to put together his own hypothesis.

Yugi and Jack had been fighting. Jack was probably abusing Yugi some more. Yugi finally came to his senses and realized he needed to get out. He asked to spend the night with Joey, then tried to break up with Jack. Jack's whole relationship with Yugi revolved around control. Seeing Yugi try to take it back, angered him. He snapped.

It was a terrible conclusion to come with, but Joey knew it was the most likely. He put the folder on his nightstand, trying to forget about everything he had just read, everything thought that had just snuck into his mind. He turned off his light, and let out a small cry. He was tired of everything, and everyone, trying to hurt Yugi.

When was the world going to give the small teen a break?

-0-0-0-0-

_**IMPORTANT: **_**Fan-fiction is still deleting stories than contain yaoi, yuri, lemons, violence, stories based on songs, and any detailed sex scenes…so…just about every story on the site. Most everyone knows of the petition going around. If you haven't signed it, the link is on my profile. But there is more we can do. **

** I'm organizing a Black Out Day. On June 23****rd****, do NOT go onto fan-fiction. Don't read, don't review, don't message your friends, don't update. If enough people participate, then the site will notice, and will realize we take our stories seriously. **

** Please spread the word any way you can, in any fandom! And let me know if you're going to join. The motto is "Unleash Your Imagination." How can we if we're being given a LONG list of what we cannot write?**

** June 23****rd****. Remember it. Please. **


	17. Interlude With A Serial Killer

***dodges rotten fruit* Sorry for the delay, but I just returned home after being away for a month! Hopefully updates will be sooner. I have the next three chapters already. So, without further delay, here you go!**

-0-0-0-0-

The man smirked as he pressed the send button on his phone, and his short message was quickly whisked away into cyberspace. The boy should have already gotten the message, and the man could only imagine the look on his face.

He took a sip of his iced tea as he sat quietly on the small patio of the diner. He knew well enough what would set Yugi Motou off, what his buttons were. All he had to do was threaten the boy's friends, and he would come, weeping like an infant, in some twisted sort of way to protect them.

Jack couldn't help but let out a soft growl. Yugi Motou had almost gotten him arrested. He still didn't know how he survived; a head injury that severe should at the very least leave someone a vegetable the rest of their lives.

But Yugi Motou had beaten the odds. Jack had heard of him in the paper, shortly after their last confrontation. Yugi Motou had been hospitalized, requiring emergency surgery to fix a fractured skull. He had been comatose for precisely three days. Doctors were prepared to pull the plug, saying that the odds of him waking up were astronomical.

But Yugi Motou woke up.

Then the doctors said that, more than likely, Yugi Motou would never be the same. He would become distant, apathetic, more machine than human.

But Yugi Motou did stay the same. He kept his emotions, he kept his sense of humanity. The only problem he was left with was some simple short term memory loss. But even that would begin to clear up with time.

So Yugi Motou had beaten the odds.

Jack counted himself lucky that he had managed to escape from the police this long. He still had that domestic violence warrant out, and it would only take one swipe of a debit card and sirens would be going off at every police station within the general vicinity. The day Yugi Motou almost died was the day Jack had to die.

These days he had to go by an alias, one he despised, but one that had served him well over this last year. He was now Mark Simmons these days, or at least to his employer. He was amazed at how easy it was to create a fake identity. All it had required was stealing a neighbor's utility bill and he was able to get a driver's license, and then use that to sign any paper work he would need in the future.

Mark Simmons was the name he rented his apartment under. It was the name that had been on the utility bill he'd stolen.

Mark Simmons used to be a neighbor.

He hated Mark Simmons.

Jack was almost disappointed when he looked at his phone and saw that Yugi Motou had not replied. He imagined that the poor boy was very frightened, and had refused to continue the conversation because that would only insinuate his fear further. But Jack was fine with that. He wanted Yugi Motou to be scared. Yugi Motou should be scared.

After all, Jack had hurt both his friends. He saw the idiotic blonde walk out of the court house that day. He hadn't meant to hurt him; in fact, Yugi Motou's friends had never been part of his plan for revenge. But that day, Jack saw him and recognized him instantly. He had a file under his arm, and it was no mystery to Jack what file that was. Before he knew what he was doing he had picked up a rock and threw it towards the blonde. He heard the loud smack that the collision of rock and head had made. Apparently the blonde's head was harder than Jack had originally thought.

He quickly ran away for fear of being caught, but stopped at a corner where he could still see the blonde. He was holding his head, blood dripping down onto the concrete. Jack felt his old smirk come back, one he hadn't used in over a year.

` He then proceeded to the diner where he knew Yugi Motou worked. He was surprised at how easy it was to simply walk past the booths where customers sat and into the employee only areas. Nobody seemed to pay him any attention. He walked into the storage room, knowing only the manger was allowed in there. And the manager just happened to be a special, little, whore.

Jack grabbed one of the nearby butter knives, and used it to loosen the screws on the shelves. He grabbed the bars and gave them a shake, pleased with how loose they had become. It wouldn't take much for the entire structure to collapse. He put the knife back down and walked out of the room, once again not being noticed by anyone.

Jack smiled as he came out of the memory, savoring another sip of his tea. His plan was working out quite well. He thought he would be done with by now, but was surprised to see that Yugi Motou had made another…more special…friend recently. Jack had been there that day they were in that shabby old restaurant, watching them from the window. And he had been there earlier that evening, watching them lying down on the grassy hill.

It was pathetic. Yugi Motou was still that same, naïve, child he had been the day Jack met him. He was foolish to believe in something as idiotic as love.

That's what Jack told himself was wrong. Deep down, he felt anger at this 'Yami' fellow. Yami was helping Yugi, he was trying to convince the poor boy that he was loved, and that no one would hurt him ever again.

He was erasing all the damage Jack had inflicted during that painful year. That angered Jack more than anything. He had been delicate and methodical with how he broke Yugi Motou. It was a slow process that required the utmost care. It took a lot to completely break someone.

Jack thought he had done that. He thought he had Yugi wrapped around his finger; he was sure the teenager was on the verge of suicide. Jack was hoping to try a different approach this time than the way he had taken with the two teenaged girls.

But that day…Yugi had almost ruined _everything. _That day, Jack had to make a split second decision in order to keep himself safe, and that only barely worked out. He still remembered that day, and every time he thought about it, his anger at Yugi Motou only intensified.

-Day of The Incident—

He wasn't expecting to see anything out of the ordinary when he walked in through the doors of his apartment that day. Which is why he was surprised to see Yugi Motou sitting on the couch, alongside two suitcases. It didn't take Jack long to put two and two together. Angered, he slammed the door behind him. Yugi Motou didn't even wince as the sound echoed throughout the apartment.

"What is the meaning of this?" Jack said, pointing to the suitcases lying on the floor as he walked towards the smaller boy.

Yugi stood up, but avoided eye contact as Jack came closer. "I'm leaving." He said, his voice barely a whisper. "I'm done. I can't take anymore. I'm going away and there's nothing you can do to stop me."

He reached down for his suitcases, but Jack grabbed his wrist, noticing it was swollen badly, and taking pleasure in seeing Yugi wince and hiss in pain.

"Like hell you are." He said, enunciating every word. "You're staying right here."

Yugi violently ripped his arm away. "I'm leaving."

Jack reached out again and this time caught Yugi by his hair. He pulled the teenager closer to him. "You're staying here," he whispered into Yugi's ear, "if I have to tie you up and keep you in the closet." He then began to drag Yugi towards the closet. He could feel the teenager stiffen in his grip and he smirked. He knew that Yugi hated the closet worse than any other punishment.

Yugi kicked violently, reached his hands up, scratching at Jack's face and body. The reaction was unexpected—Yugi had never fought back before—and Jack dropped the teenager, who crawled on the floor a few feet before standing. He was breathing rapidly, but did not move from his spot. Perhaps it was out of fear. Perhaps it was out of stupidity. Whatever the case, Jack was sure that this was going to be an easy fight.

He walked over to Yugi and raised his hand. Before he knew it, Yugi was on the ground, clutching his eye. He removed his hand slowly to see a trickle of blood falling from a scratch Jack's fingernails had caused.

"I called Joey." He said, and Jack froze. What had the little bastard told his friend? Yugi seemed to see the fear in Jack's eyes and he smirked himself. "I didn't tell him anything; just that we were fighting. I'm going to stay with him."

"You are not leaving."

"Joey's not as stupid as you think he is. If I'm not at his place at the time we agreed on, he's going to get worried. He's going to come looking for me, and you're secret is going to come out. Or," he said, tauntingly, "you can let me walk out now, and nobody but us has to know about what happened between these four walls."

"You're lying."

"If I wanted you gone, I would've called the police, not Joey."

Jack clenched his hand, sweat dripping from his eyebrow. This wasn't supposed to happen. Yugi was supposed to be a broken, sniveling child. Instead, he was confident, almost arrogant. This wasn't supposed to happen. He wasn't going to let it happen. Jack knew in that instant what he had to do.

He kicked his foot out, hitting Yugi in the shoulder. The teenager's head collided with the edge of the couch. He screamed in pain, but managed to get to his feet. Blood was now running from his eye and head. He was feeling disorientated. He ran into the kitchen, Jack quickly following him.

Yugi's vision was getting fuzzy, and he felt like he was about to throw up. He grabbed onto the nearby counter for support, but couldn't move his legs. He felt Jack hit him again in the head, and he fell down.

Jack watched as Yugi hit his head on the tile. He didn't move. Jack watched with no remorse. He hadn't loved Yugi. He didn't even like the kid. This had only been a part of his ruse for blood.

He bent down and picked Yugi up. If he wasn't dead yet, then it was only a matter of time before he would be. He needed to get rid of him, and fast. He needed to clean up the evidence quickly.

"Where to put you?" He wondered aloud.

-0-0-0-0-0-

He continued to scrub at the tile, panting heavily. He had gotten all the blood off the tile. Luckily none had gotten on the carpet; that would've been a helluva lot harder to clean up.

Yugi Motou was lying in a dark alley somewhere, slowly bleeding. If anyone found him, he would already be dead. Nobody walked around much at time of night. Jack looked over at the suitcases he had packed. He needed to get out of here fast. People could easily tie him to the murder and he did not feel like spending a life sentence in jail. He carried the bucket out dirty water into the bathroom where it dumped it down the tub. He ran the faucet to rinse it clean, and then exited. He picked up his suitcases, (he already got rid of Yugi's earlier) and walked down the stairs to the front desk.

"I'd like to nullify my residence here." He said, trying to charm the landlord. She looked at him scrutinizing him.

"I'm going to need the rent for the entire month."

Jack quickly wrote a check and handed it to her. "There you go. One month's rent two weeks early."

She took it slowly, unsure. "What is your name?" She said as she turned to the computer.

He hesitated for a moment, then gave her his name. It would do him no good to lie. It would only get him in trouble somewhere else.

"Okay sir. You are no longer a resident of this apartment complex."

"Perfect."

-0-0-0-0-0-

It had been a good thing he left. Police were at his apartment a few days later, searching for him. By then Jack had gotten the news that Yugi had survived. He didn't know what to make of the knowledge. He was angered by it; he had no idea how Yugi could've survived a head injury that severe. But he had.

Luckily for him, Jack had managed to avoid detection from the police. He was sure Yugi hadn't said much, and that had attributed to his ability to stay a free man. But still…

Yugi had to go. He was a liability. Jack had watched him these past few weeks with that Yami person. He was opening up more. Jack could see it in Yugi's eyes. The boy was smitten for the older man. Surely by now Yami would know, and then perhaps he would come after Jack. Perhaps he would bring Joey along.

Jack smirked. It would be fun, taking out the both of them. He was older by only a few years, but still wiser. Joey was still an impulsive brat. Yami was obviously blinded by his love. As far as he was concerned, Jack had an advantage over the two of them.

But no…he wouldn't hurt them…badly. His fight was with Yugi and that's where it would remain. Nobody else needed to get hurt. Jack was a lot of things, but someone who goes out and picks a fight just for the hell of it? No. He was calculating. He was precise. He only hurt those whom he knew could not fight back. It was only a game to him. He played the games he knew for a fact he could win. There was no point in trying to risk something. He wasn't a gambler. He wasn't going to risk going to jail, or even Death Row. He would only do what he knew he could get away with.

Jack took another sip of his tea, noticing the waitress giving him a nasty look. Jack glanced at his watch and saw the time. It was near closing, and all the other customers had left. She hadn't asked him to leave.

Jack dug into his pocket and pulled out enough loose change to pay his bill, along with a measly tip. The service here really did stink.

He exited the diner and saw a man he recognized driving out in front of him. He was the Yami man Yugi had been hanging out with lately. Jack smirked. He knew what he had to do now.

-0-0-0-0-0-

**Since a lot of people have been asking, I will answer here. Jack is NOT Jack Atlas from 5D's.**

**Sage: You just picked the most generic name that came to mind for the story's antagonist? **

**Yup. **


	18. Incredibly Stupid, or Incredibly Brave?

**Happy Friday the 13th people!**

**Sage: You believe in that crap?  
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**No, but considering how this chapter ends, I thought it would be fitting to update today.  
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**Sage: Wait-what's that suppose to mean?  
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**You'll see. You'll all see...I should probably go hide now before they get to the end.  
><strong>

**Sage: Oh dear.  
><strong>

****-0-0-0-0-0-

Yami didn't know how to react when his car suddenly lurched forward. Even though he had his seat belt on, his body was flung forward and he hit his head on the steering wheel. He managed to pull his car over to the side of the road and examined it.

He had been at a stop light, and had allowed a man to cross in front of him. The man had been fairly close to his car, but Yami had thought nothing of it. It was when the light turned green and he pressed his foot to the gas that the car suddenly became an out of control machine. Yami grabbed a flashlight out of the glove compartment and stepped out of his car.

The light shone down onto his front right tire, and Yami was shocked to see a large gash in it. He put his hand over the wound and felt the air rushing out in a hissing noise.

The gash was at the front of the tire. Yami hadn't run over something. His tires had been slashed. And the only possibly explanation was that they were slashed by that man who had walked in front of him.

Yami looked around for the perpetrator, but he was out of sight, long gone. Yami hadn't even paid enough attention as to what he looked like, and would not be able to tell the police anything about him. Yami groaned.

It was too late to call a tow truck, and he didn't have a spare tire. He would have to wait until morning. At first Yami was tempted to just sleep in his car, but then he looked around the area he was in. It wasn't a good idea, he thought. Maybe Yugi and Joey will let me spend the night with them. Or, he could always look around for a hotel. There had to be one nearby.

Then again…this wasn't exactly the safest place to spend the night. Yami groaned again. He would try Yugi's place first. If he wasn't wanted, he would understand. He could stand a hotel if it was absolutely necessary, but if there was a second option, he would prefer that.

Yami began the few mile walk, sticking his hands into his pockets. He hoped his car would be alright for the night. He was nervous leaving it alone, and even considered sleeping in there. But, that probably wasn't the safest idea either. Yami hoped what he was doing would be the wisest choice; he didn't want to do anything to put himself, or anyone else, in danger.

After a few more minutes, Yami had managed to make it to the apartment complex. He walked the several stairs and made it to the door, hesitating for a moment before knocking on the door. He heard shuffling from the other side, and the sound of someone flipping a deadbolt. Then, the door opened and Joey was standing on the other side.

"Uh…" Joey began, rubbing his eyes, "can I help you?"

"My car has a flat. I was wondering if I could crash with you until I can call a tow truck?"

Joey sighed and stepped aside, motioning for Yami to come in. The older man did so, and stood anxiously in the living room. He looked around and was once again reminded of the living conditions the two teenagers lived in. He bit his lip. He knew there was something he could do, but he didn't know how to say it. He didn't want to risk upsetting Joey, or offending him. But it was obvious he and Yugi needed financial help. They were both high school drop outs working minimum wage jobs. They would never be able to get out of this apartment.

Joey came out with a large blanket and a pillow in his hand. "Will you be fine sleeping on the couch?" He asked, setting the stuff down on the worn piece of furniture.

Yami nodded his head. "Yeah, that's fine. Better than sleeping in my car. Thanks for letting me."

"I can't let you sleep outside with a clean conscience."

Somewhere in the distance, Yami was able to hear multiple sirens. He shuddered.

"So, what exactly happened?" Joey asked, sitting down.

"I was at a stop light and someone came up and slashed my tires."

Joey whistled. "Man, seems like we're all having bad luck."

"What do you mean?"

"First I get attacked, then Anzu is buried under boxes at work, and now you. Seems like the universe is just out to get us."

"I suppose."

The sirens grew louder as they neared their destination. Joey seemed unfazed by it, as though it was something he heard every day. And it was possible that he did hear it every day.

"Yugi's sleeping, just so you know." Joey said. "And just so you know, I have a gun. You're a smart man, I think you can put two and two together, or do I need to explain what I'm getting at?"

Yami shook his head. "I won't bother Yugi. But, can you stop with the death threats? I thought we were good."

Joey smirked. "We are."

"Then why constantly threaten me?"

"It wouldn't be much fun if I didn't."

Yami rolled his eyes, but felt a smile form at the corner of his lips. "Is that all I am? A form of amusement for you?"

"Pretty much. Life gets pretty boring around here. All we do is wake up, go to work, come home, go to sleep. The repetition is killing me!"

Yami exhaled deeply. His conscience was screaming at him. He knew what he needed to do, how he could help these two young men out. He only hoped they would accept it; it was obvious Joey was very proud. But, this offer would be helping Yugi out as well, and it was obvious the brotherly love Joey had for Yugi would greatly influence his decision.

"I have an idea on how you can change things around here…" Yami said slowly, trying to figure out how to word this.

"Yeah, how?"

"My boss—Kaiba-,"

Joey smirked at the memory of Yugi defeating the national champion.

"He's been setting aside some money for me, to hire an assistant. And I've been procrastinating on that. I figure it's time I get started on it."

Joey's smile fell and he began to lean forward.

"It's obvious…I don't mean to offend, but you and Yugi need help. I want to hire you to be my assistant."

"Me?" Joey said, a look of disbelief on his face. "Work at KaibaCorp? I don't even have a GED, and I can get a job at KaibaCorp like that?"

"It's yours if you want it."

Joey was silent for a moment, and his eyes grew wide as he realized Yami was sincere. "Wow." He said leaning back into the sofa. He couldn't met Yami's gaze anymore; it was too awkward. But, he still managed to speak. There were no words to express his gratitude. This man just saved him from bankruptcy…what could he say? In the end, Joey found he could only go with the most simple. They seemed to hold more meaning that anything else he could think of.

"Thank you."

"You can start work anytime."

Joey scoffed. "I'll start the moment I tell my boss to shove it. Old bastard…" Joey stood up and reached out his hand. "Hey, let's get a drink."

Yami raised his eyebrow. "Aren't you a little young for that?"

"I'm taller than you; nobody cards me. Let's go! We have to celebrate being coworkers!"

"I'm in; but what about Yugi?"

Joey waved his hand. "He'll be fine. He's stayed alone at night before."

"Okay then." Yami said, following Joey out the door. But, he had a feeling that maybe going out wasn't the best idea. He ignored that voice inside his head, though. He wanted some fun, and it was a time to celebrate.

He and Joey exited the house without a second thought.

-0-0-0-0-

_"Let me out, let me out, let me out!" He screamed and continued to bang his hand against the door. He could feel it already beginning to bruise and throb, but he ignored it. He needed to make noise to get out; the walls of the closet were already starting to close in on him, making him claustrophobic. _

_ Yugi forced himself to take in deep, but shaky, breaths. He knew he had to calm himself down. But, it was easier said than done. Yugi couldn't even remember how he had gotten into the closet this time. He must have done something to upset Jack, but what? It was as though he had just woken up in here. _

_ "I had to have done something." Yugi said quietly, resting his forehead against the door. He knew he had to be careful of what he said and did around Jack. The man was extremely short-tempered and could go off on about anything. _ _But still…_

_ Suddenly, Yugi could hear short breaths behind him. He spun around and was surprised to see two girls, about his age, sitting down on the floor. One was blonde and the other brunette. Both were pretty, Yugi thought. Until he noticed their eyes. Their eyes were wide and empty; the pupil was nonexistent. Yugi got the feeling that they were looking into his very soul, and it gave him goose bumps. How did they get in here, he wondered. He had never seen them before._

_ "Who-who are you?" He asked, his voice shaky. The two girls turned to each other, and some silent message was exchanged. The blonde girl turned her head towards Yugi and spoke. _

_ "We are friends." Her voice was soft and sweet, not at all matching her somewhat demonic appearance. _

_ "We want to help you." The brunette interjected. Her voice was also caring and sincere. _

_ "Help me? With what?" Yugi asked, blinking. _

_ "With whatever it is you need help with." The blonde answered cryptically. _

_ "What do you mean?"_

_ "It is obvious the dilemma you are in." The brunette said coming closer. "We understand; we were once in the same position."_

_ "Can you please answer me straightforward?"_

_ The two girls were silent for a moment, before the blonde spoke once more. _

_ "Very well. Ask us a question and we shall answer it." _

_ "What are your names?"_

_ The brunette spoke first this time. "My name is Jackie."_

_ "And I'm Amanda." _

_ Yugi nodded his head in understanding. "Okay…are you ghosts?" He asked next, fearing the answer. What other explanation could explain their empty, soulless eyes? They did seem to mean him harm, but how could he be sure? He'd met a lot of people in his life who seemed not to mean him any harm. All he had to do was look around to see how that had ended up._

_ "We are." The two girls said in perfect sync, as though they had practiced it before several times. _

_ Yugi blinked and bit his lip, fearing the answer to his next question. "How did you die?"_

_ Amanda titled her head to the side to reveal her neck. Yugi couldn't hold back a gasp when he saw it. The circumference of her neck was completely black and indented. _

_ "He choked me." She said._

_ Jackie ran a hand through her dark hair and pulled it out. She pushed the appendage near Yugi's face and he nearly vomited when he saw it. Her hand was completely covered in blood, and as he looked up, he saw the crimson fluid running from her head down her face, eventually dripping down her cheek._

_ "He beat me." Jackie said without any emotion. It sounded like she was talking about the weather; not how she had died. _

_ Yugi thought about what the two girls had just said, replaying it over in his mind. They both had said, "He". Yugi once again nearly vomited as he came to a dark conclusion: they had been murdered. Yugi hesitated to ask his one last question, but something inside him wouldn't let him not ask it. He needed to know, he wanted to know._

_ "Who?" Was all he could manage to say, but it was enough. The girls looked at each other._

_ "Jack." They said in unison._

_ Amanda scooted closer to Yugi and put her hand on his shoulder, forcing the boy to look into her eyes._

_ "He killed us and he wanted to kill you."_

_ "What?"_

_ "He chooses his victims months before he kills them. He tells them he loves them, but then he gets violent. But he doesn't let you go because he loves the control. He'll keep you on a leash and anytime you fight back, he punishes you. He doesn't like losing that control."_

_ "But you," Jackie said, coming closer, "you made him lose that control. He tried to kill you, but you survived. That night Jack lost his control, his power. But now he wants it back."_

_ "He-he," Yugi stuttered, remembering things that didn't quite make sense; Joey with his head bleeding, Anzu buried under boxes at work, and a man he recognized but whose name he couldn't remember walking home alone in the dark. "He hurt them." Yugi said. _

_ "He knows they're important to you." Jackie said. "He's figured out that's how he can get his control back."_

_ "He'll kill them." Yugi said in realization. He looked down at his hands and saw that they were red and moist. They were covered in blood; the blood of his friends if he didn't do something. "He'll kill them, won't he?"_

_ The two girls nodded their heads._

_ "Wh-what do I do?"_

_ "Whatever you need to do." Amanda said, as she began to become fuzzy. Yugi had to squint to make out her image. _

_ "He won't stop until he gets his control back. And even then, there's no saying there won't be another." Jackie said and she too, became harder to see. _

_ "Please," Yugi begged, "what do I do to stop him? To save my friends?"_

_ "Beat him at his own game." Jackie said. "Take the control away again." _

_ And the two girls disappeared. _

-0-0-0-0-0-

Yugi shot up in bed, cold sweat sticking to his head. His breaths were deep and ragged and for a moment he forget where he was.

"Let me out, let me out, let me out." He whispered, clutching tightly to the blanket on top of him. But he soon realized he was in his bed, in his own apartment. He could see the window adjacent to his bed, and see the lights of the city.

He relaxed some and lay back into the pillow, clamping his eyes shut.

"It was all a dream." He whispered. "Just a dream."

In the darkness of his eyelids, he saw Jackie and Amanda, with their lifeless eyes. He trembled at the sight. No, it wasn't just a dream. There was something more to it. Why would he just imagine two girls he'd never met? Why would he imagine them saying Jack killed them?

…Why would he imagine them saying Jack wanted to kill him?

It had all seemed so real, especially the blood he had seen. The blood of his friends…

Yugi pushed himself out of bed. He wasn't going to let Jack hurt his friends. But, how could he stop the man? He remembered how much stronger Jack was than he was. And he didn't know how well Joey, or the police, would take to his admittance that he had been in contact with the man and kept it secret.

Yugi walked across the hall towards Joey's door. He had a bad feeling about Joey. He knocked rapidly, wincing as he remembered the late hour. He felt stupid for even trying to wake up Joey. He felt childish for it. It was just a bad dream, he should be able to deal with it on his own.

After the incident, he had become so dependent on Joey. His memory problems had become a handicap, and Joey was his link to his old life. But, Yugi's memory had been getting better, he thought. He hadn't forgotten anything vital in weeks, and he had just now noticed that. Yugi bit the inside of his lip. Why would he suddenly be getting better?

He had received no answer from Joey, so Yugi knocked again and proceeded to open the door. "Joey?" He called, and got no answer. Yugi flipped on the light and saw that Joey's bed was still made, and he wasn't in it. Yugi felt his heart drop into his stomach. Where was Joey?

Something on the edge of the bed caught Yugi's attention and he felt drawn towards it. He walked over and picked up a small folder, flipping through it. It didn't take long for him to realize it was a police file. And his name was on it. Yugi began to read through it.

"…11:30, Friday, June 17…" He remembered the date instantly, and unconsciously reached up and touched his head, still feeling traces of raised skin from a scar that had formed. This was a police file on him.

Yugi kept the folder in his hand and walked towards the living room, still reading it. He had gotten to the part with Joey talking to the investigator and felt tears pricking at his eyes. These recorded words from Joey were so real, so full of emotion. Yugi could feel Joey's pain just by reading them. He wanted to find Joey—wherever he was—and tell him how sorry he was. He had caused them nothing but pain these last few years.

He sat down on the couch and continued to read. "…matched the DNA on several crime scenes…" Yugi's speech slowed down, and he felt his throat close up. "…scenes of animal torture…and two murders…" He had re-read the names in the file several times over to verify them. They couldn't be real; they had to be his mind playing tricks on him. It had to be some hallucination, or even still: he was still dreaming. This was all still a dream.

Yugi bit on his tongue, but flinched. He had felt it. This wasn't a dream. He opened his mouth slightly. "Amanda Smith and Jackie Sawyers." The names of the girls from his dream. They said Jack had killed them. And so did the evidence. Jack had tried to kill him.

And he was going to kill his friends to get revenge for Yugi surviving.

Yugi shut the folder close and threw it onto the couch, letting tears fall. His friends were going to be killed unless he did something. And he had to do something quick. Joey wasn't home, now would be the perfect time to give Jack what he wanted.

Yugi reached for his phone that had been sitting on the coffee table. He typed up a message and sent it within just a few seconds.

_I know what you want. Meet me in our 'special' place in an hour. This ends tonight._

Yugi only had to wait a few moments before he received a reply.

_Indeed it does. _

-0-0-0-0-0-

Yugi knew this alley all too well. A year ago he had almost died in this alley. And he knew that he would more than likely die in this alley. But he had to do it; he had to protect his friends. They had done more than enough for him these last two years. It was time he repaid the favor.

He hoped they wouldn't be too made at him. He remembered how mad Joey had been when he had asked Ushio to kill him. And that was what he was doing now, wasn't it? It was a suicide mission. He knew Jack was going to kill him, like he tried a year ago. But his friends hadn't been involved then. They were now.

Yugi would do what he needed to keep them safe. They would forgive him eventually. He knew it would probably take a few years, but they would. He wished he would be able to tell them how sorry he was, but he knew he never would. He said a silent prayer, asking whatever God was watching over him to protect them. He told God he was sorry too; he didn't want to go to Hell, but he would if it meant keeping his friends safe.

He heard footsteps coming from behind him. Yugi wrapped his arms around himself, feeling a cold gust of wind hit him.

'Please,' he prayed, 'don't let it hurt.'

Jack walked up to him and in front. Yugi kept his eyes down, but felt Jack's hand wrap around his chin and force his head up. He stared into the eyes of his attacker. They were cold and dark; they had lost the light in them they had when Yugi first met him. And his hair…

"You dyed your hair." Yugi commented, staring at the brown locks. They had been blonde when they met.

"I've needed an identity change." Jack responded cruelly, taking his spare hand and moving Yugi's hair behind his ears. Yugi flinched at the action.

"You killed two girls." He saw their empty eyes once more, the blood falling from them.

"I did." Jack responded with no emotion.

"Why? What did they do to you?"

"Nothing." Jack said, as he began to pet Yugi's hair.

"Then why did you kill them?" Yugi whispered painfully.

Jack mused for a moment on what he was going to say. "It's interesting. Having a person's life in the palm of your hands. It is interesting know that every little thing you do will affect them in some way. It's interesting seeing a person give up and surrender. But, the most interesting thing of all is seeing their eyes as you do it. You can take someone's eyes, and no matter how bright they are, no matter how optimistic they seem, and break them. Some take longer than others, but eventually they break."

The soulless eyes, the broken eyes.

"That was what attracted me to you. Your damn eyes. They're beautiful, alluring. I wanted to see them break. I wanted to see you give up. You were by far my greatest challenge, but one I managed. I saw those eyes crumble right before me. And they stayed like that for a while."

"You were watching me."

"For a long time. I saw how those eyes stayed broken." He brought the hand on Yugi's chin up to his face and began to trace the scar around his eye. Yugi stiffened at the action, but remained as still as possible.

"Until that man came into your life. Once he came in, your eyes started to heal, they started to get bright again. I couldn't let that happen. I couldn't let you turn back all the damage I had done."

"So you started hurting my friends."

"I wouldn't say hurt. The only one who got hurt was that dumb blonde friend of yours. The others were merely…inconvenienced. The whore of a boss was not harmed, and neither was the man."

"You went after Yami?" Yugi said, surprised. When had this happened?

"He is not hurt, don't worry about him. You should be worried about yourself."

Yugi shivered slightly, but forced himself to inhale deeply. "I want to make a deal with you." His voice was shaken, and he cursed himself for it.

Jack smirked. "What kind of deal?"

"Do what you want with me, but leave my friends alone."

"If I do what I want with you, then how will you know if I leave your friends alone?"

"Because," Yugi said, his voice becoming spiteful, "if you ever come near them again, I'll haunt you for the rest of your life."

Jack's eyes darkened. "Very well, Yugi. We have a deal. Let's finished what we started. After all, like you said, this ends tonight."

He reached behind him, into his back pocket. Yugi trembled, knowing what was going to happen.

'Don't let it hurt.' He begged, feeling tears fall out of his eyes. He didn't feel the blade piercing his skin, but he felt it when Jack pulled it out. Yugi was unable to make any noise save for a small groan, and he saw Jack standing in front of him, a bloodied knife in hand.

Yugi placed his hands against his torso where he felt the warm blood spilling out from. His vision became blurry and his knees buckled. He fell to the ground, coughing and spitting, still alive, and in pain. He had been stabbed. He was going to die.

He saw Jack walk away quietly before his eyelids became heavy and closed, engulfing him in darkness.

-0-0-0-0-0-

**Well...Um...eh...don't...kill me? Please?**

**Sage: Kill her, kill her, kill her.  
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**Yeah, I'm gonna...go now...*flees into darkness*  
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	19. In The Dark

**Sage: Dear Mourners, we are gathered here together to grieve for the loss of-**

** Yami: What are you doing?**

** Sage: Yami! Don't you know it's rude to interrupt an eulogy? **

** Yami:…An eulogy? Who died?**

** Sage: DarkHeart, of course. The reviewers killed her after the last chapter.**

** Yami:…..No they didn't.**

** Sage:….They didn't?...Damn it!**

-0-0-0-0-0-

It was dark. Too dark. He shivered in pain, struggling to draw in a breath, and choking on the cold air he managed to swallow. He could feel his blood pooling out underneath him, dampening his clothes. The wound didn't hurt as much as it had. Part of him wanted to touch it, to examine it. But he knew better. He knew that would only make things worse.

How long had he been here, on this dirty ground? It seemed like eternity. He couldn't remember a time when he hadn't been laying here. But he knew he hadn't always been here. Visions of people, people he sparsely remembered. A man with blonde hair and kind brown eyes with a goofy grin on his face. A young woman with brown hair and sparkling blue eyes. Another man who looked almost like him, but with confidence radiating in his eyes. He knew them. He couldn't remember them, but he knew them. He wanted to remember them because maybe they could help him. Maybe they could save him.

But, he had wanted to die, right? He wanted to die because he needed to protect them. They were in danger; they would've been killed if he hadn't allowed himself to be.

Except he was still alive. And he hated himself for it. He was supposed to die, and his friends—because he knew they were his friends—were supposed to be okay. If he was still alive, would his friends remain unharmed? Or would the man who stabbed him go after them? He wasn't sure. He couldn't only hope that this would all end soon and that he would just die. He was tired of living. He was tired of being a burden, of being helpless.

Somewhere in the distant, he was aware of the soft sound of people walking and talking along the street. Part of him wanted to call out for their help, it hurt so much. But another part wanted to just lay here forever until Death came on his swift wings and took him away. It was dark and he knew no body would be able to see him in the alleyway. He would just have to lay there and deal with it. He knew what he had gotten himself into when he told the man to do whatever he wanted.

However, he had hoped the man would go with a most swift option. He wondered vaguely about the two girls that had been murdered. Had their deaths been slow like his? Or were theirs fast and virtually painless? Maybe they had been and that's why he was suffering now. He had to make up for the pain the two girls didn't feel. If that was the case, then he would take the pain just so somebody else didn't have to.

But the girls were already dead. It was hard trying to feel sympathy for a dead person. But he would dead soon; maybe then he would understand better. Maybe he could be friends with them. They had all fallen victim to the same murderer after all.

It was hard understanding how someone could enjoy stealing another living being's life. He had always thought people were programmed to want to help and be with another. When we see someone sad and crying, we want to help them, to make them feel happy.

But he had to look back on his own life to prove his hypothesis wrong. Nearly everybody he had ever met had tried to hurt him in some way. School yard bullies, CPS agents, even strangers at the diner he worked at wanted to do everything they could to make his life difficult and worse yet, they seemed to enjoy it almost as much as the man had.

He could feel his breaths become heavier and sparser. It felt as though somebody had put a large weight on his chest. It was becoming so hard to breath; such a simple, thoughtless act was not only causing him pain, but causing him to think. He had to remind himself to breath, even though he knew he would only bring another jolt of pain. But he knew he couldn't _not _breathe. Even when he tried to hold his breath, his mind would force his lungs to inhale another gasp of cold, night air.

He wanted to die. He wanted the pain to end. He wanted the misery to end. He wanted to free his friends of his burden.

But he also wanted to be saved. But he couldn't let that happen, he couldn't let himself live. If he lived, his friends would die. And their blood would be on his hands. Because the man who had stabbed him didn't really care about his friends. He just wanted to hurt him. The man would do whatever it took to hurt him.

His thoughts were becoming fuzzier and harder to reach. He couldn't even remember his own name. He didn't have a name, though. He was just 'he'. Nobody else seemed to have a name either, so why should he?

The blonde was the kind brown eyes had no name. Neither did the woman with the brown hair and infectious laugh. The man who looked almost just like him was nameless as well. Then there was the man with the brown-dyed hair and the red glint in his eyes. He had no name, although 'Satan' seemed to fit.

The boy on the ground let out a dry cough, feeling blood come up at the corners of his mouth. His throat was dry and his lips were cracked. It was too late to call out for help now. He had been falling in and out of consciousness for the last few hours, he had known that. But this time he knew it would be different. The darkness was covering him like a blanket, and it was warm and soft. His eyelids were becoming heavy and near impossible to hold up. He let out one last strangled breath and then let a smile come to his lips.

It was ending. It was all ending. He knew that if he closed his eyes he would die, and again, part of him wanted to clamp them shut and be done with it all. But another part of him was fighting, struggling, screaming inside his mind.

Stay awake, stay awake, stay awake!

But that voice was becoming quieter and more distant. It was starting to take a great effort to listen to it, and he just didn't have the energy anymore. Besides, he could see Death in front of him now. He had no shape, or form, but it was obvious he was there. The boy could smell him. Death reached out his hand and placed them on his eyelids. He closed the boy's eyes and in doing so, the boy knew he was going to die.

He knew he would never wake up. He knew that there would be nothing on the other side for him, save for maybe Hell. He didn't deserve anything else. He had lied, and had broken the law, and had committed suicide. He had allowed a man to stab him, how could that not be suicide? He didn't fight back as the man did it, and even know he didn't call for help, even though he could've multiple times. He could've done something to save himself, but he didn't. Now he was going to die, alone in a dirty alley, crawling with rats and drug dealers, where his body would more than likely not be found until the next morning.

And he was content with that.

He allowed Death to close his eyes.

-0-0-0-0-

"You know," Yami said, putting his drink down on the table, "you seem pretty cherry considering every that's happened in your life."

Joey smirked and took a sip of his rum. "What do I have to be depressed about? I have a quiet roommate, my best friend is finally seeing himself as worth something, wonderful friends, and a new job."

"Well yes," Yami said, "but what about everything's that happened in the past? Sure, things are looking good now, but how were you a year ago? Two years ago?"

Joey paused for a moment and sucked on his lip, the light leaving his eyes. "I try not to dwindle on the past. Yugi doesn't. That's one thing he's taught me in the time I've known him: worry about the present, not the past or the future. Because right here, right now, is the only thing that matters."

The bar was beginning to quiet down as time rolled into the early morning hours. The bartender had given the duo several nasty looks, insinuating him wanted them out so he could leave work early, but the two would have none of it. They wanted to talk and drink, and that's what they were going to do.

"You can't honestly tell me you were always this optimistic though."

Joey sighed and looked down. "No, I was not. I'll tell you; when I saw Yugi with that first black eye, I was going to kill the man. Yugi begged me not too, though, and…I really had no choice unless I wanted CPS to come knocking at my door. So I let it go. But for weeks after that, I made sure to keep a good eye on that man. I didn't trust him the first moment I saw him, and I wasn't going to now.

"Over the next few months, either Yugi became a really good actor, or things seemed to have gotten well with the two. I went with the latter because that's what I wanted to believe. It was a stupid mistake on my part. I was angry at Jack, but I was furious with myself. I kept telling myself, 'If I had done something sooner, If I had gone looking sooner, then none of this would've happened.' But of course it did no good.

"Look, if you had known me three years ago, I probably would be just like any other guy. But those two years?...I try to move past them as best I can. It doesn't do anyone any good staying in the past."

Yami found himself amazed at how calm and mature Joey was as he spoke. He sounded so old and wise, but at the same thing, Yami couldn't see past the stubborn, hard-headed teenager he was. He had seen more shit in his life than Yami ever had. Yami found himself inspired by his and Yugi's story, by their resiliency. They were more mature than most adults Yami had come to know in his life. He was amazed at how they were able to rebound from such a tragic event, and brush it off like it was nothing.

So Yami had to think: Had they recovered from the situation, or were they repressing? Because it seemed there was no way you could be pain-free from such an event, no matter how long ago it had been. There would always be the memories, and the scars. You could never make those go away no matter how hard you tried. They were permanent. No matter how much you scrubbed, or how hard, they would always be there on the skin and on the mind.

There was no running away from it. Maybe it would be easier for Joey to try and forget it, but what about Yugi? Joey had witnessed it, but Yugi had lived it. Yugi had been there, affected by everything. Just the thought of knowing what Yugi had gone through was enough to make Yami ill. But he was just a bystander. Yugi had actually lived through it, all on his own. Yami wondered what it had been like for Yugi, living with an abusive man.

Had he been scared the entire time? Hurt? Yami had to chide himself; of course Yugi had been hurt, this man almost killed him.

And Yugi acted like it was nothing. It was nothing that he had once been on Death's door. Yami couldn't understand how Yugi could walk around with a smile on his face every day. It was miraculous.

Joey downed the last of his drink and nudged Yami in the shoulder, catching his attention.

"Hey," He said, "Let's get outta here. I'm tired of Pops over there givin' us the stink eye."

Yami looked over to see that the bartender was still glaring at the two of them, and it was a little unsettling. He agreed silently and the two paid the tab before exiting the bar and walking back to the apartment uneventfully.

It was near two in the morning and traffic had become almost nonexistent. There was still the nightlife, with other bars and clubs open, and even a few women standing beneath a street lamp, with dirty cigarettes in their mouths and fishnet leggings.

They walked up to the apartment where several of the lights were still on, but flickering.

'Just think,' Yami thought, eyeing Joey, 'with this job, he and Yugi can move. They don't have to live here anymore.'

And it seemed that Joey was thinking the same thing. When he had been emancipated from his drunken father, this was the only place he could afford. It was shabby, and in dire need of work, but for two years this had home. It had been where he came home each day from work, where he had slept, and eaten. He had something to come back to here; he had his best friend, and a bed. It wasn't the best of places, but it was better than where he could be.

Joey sighed. He walked up the stairs and Yami quickly followed. The blonde opened the door, surprised to see the light on. "Huh." Joey said aloud, walking inside. Yami was right behind him. Joey's eyes scanned around the room, seeing nothing out of place, until they stopped by the couch.

In front of it, was the coffee table, and resting on that, was a manila folder. Joey recognized it instantly, and he knew that wasn't where he left it. He quickly walked towards it and picked it up, noticing how some of the corners had been slightly creased. His worry deepened.

He threw the folder down onto the couch. "Yugi!" He called. Yami raised an eyebrow.

"What's wrong?" He asked. Joey didn't respond. Yami watched Joey race into a bedroom he presumed was Yugi's and was out within two seconds. His eyes were wide and filled to the brim with worry.

"He's not here." Joey whispered, panicked. Yami felt his heart sink into his chest.

"What do you mean?"

"He's not here!" Joey yelled. "It's two in the morning and he's gone!" Joey put a hand into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone, dialing numbers. "Oh, I'm going to kill him when I find him!" He placed the phone up to his ear.

A loud ringing could be heard. Both sets of eyes slowly followed the noise, not wanting it to be true. Yami reached out his hand and grabbed the ringing phone from the coffee table. He flipped it open, and the ringing stopped.

Joey slowly removed his phone from his ear. Yugi had left his phone. He never left it, he never forgot it. He knew that was the only way he and Joey could contact each other in case something happened, and he had left it. It had to be on purpose, Joey knew there was no way Yugi would forget it accidentally. But why would he leave it? Where would he go that he didn't want Joey to know about?

He watched Yami begin to press buttons on the phone, watching his face become pale. "I think you should see this." He said quietly, handing the phone over towards Joey.

Joey snatched it away, eager to see what in the hell was going on. He saw a list of all the text messages Yugi had received and sent. He began to read them. And his heart sank even further as he went down the list.

The number was listed as unknown, but Joey could tell who it was just by reading them. He could hear the sadistic voice behind the letters and it scared him. Yugi had been in contact with Jack for the last few days.

Why didn't he tell him? Joey felt himself grow sick as he read; he didn't want too, but he knew he needed too. He needed to find out where Yugi was. He had read the file. He now knew about the murders, and how Jack had tried to kill him. He wasn't supposed to figure that out. God knows what he would do with that knowledge. Yugi had read the file and he had run off somewhere.

Joey swallowed as he read the last message Yugi had sent out near ten o clock.

_It ends tonight._

_ Indeed it does._

Joey felt his throat tighten up. "Shit." He murmured, unable to comprehend what was happening. Yugi had gone after Jack. He had been gone for nearly four hours. What could have happened? Joey didn't want to think about what kind of situation Yugi was currently in. He knew all of Jack's violent tendencies, and if they were planning on, 'ending it', God only knows what would happen. What's could've already happened. Joey didn't want to think about that, but it had been four hours.

Joey reached up and began to pull at his hair, berating himself. I shouldn't have left!, He thought. I should have stayed here. He wouldn't have left if I had stayed here. He would be okay if I stayed here. He wouldn't have gone after him if I had stayed here!

Joey growled and shook his head again, trying to fight back the angry and worried tears that were threatening to fall.

"Shit, shit, shit." Joey threw the cell phone down onto the couch and then ran to the door, but was stopped by Yami.

"Get out of my way!" Joey cried, trying to shove his way past the older man. He was taller, but Yami held his ground and would not move.

"We can't just run around blindly!" Yami argued, but his voice was full of worry as well.

"Like hell we can! He'll kill him! He could've already!" Joey reached past Yami and managed to get to the door knob. He turned it and pulled, the door opening inwards and hitting Yami in the back.

"Ow!"

Joey squeezed past Yami and started down the stairs. Yami followed quickly behind, shutting the door on his way out. Joey had already made it to the street. He stopped to turn around and gaze at Yami for a moment.

"I'll search north!" He cried, his voice starting to crack. "You search the south side!" And with that, Joey disappeared into the night.

-0-0-0-0-

He didn't know where to even begin his search. Yami hadn't spent much time exploring this side of the city; he didn't even know if he was going in the right direction. For all he knew, he was searching east, or west. Not south. But still he trudged on, because he was worried about Yugi desperately. He couldn't believe the younger teen would go off on his own, after his abusive ex. He thought Yugi had more sense than that.

He searched around every corner, every street, and saw no signs of the boy. His feet were sore and tired, and he felt himself needing to sleep. But he just pushed himself forward, forcing himself faster. Yugi had already been gone for at least four hours now. Who knows what could have happened to him in that short period of time?

The street lamps flickered and buzzed, making it hard to see around him. Yami coughed and wrapped his jacket around himself tighter, feeling the night air nip at his skin. He wondered how Yugi was doing, even though he knew he shouldn't. He only knew what Joey had told him about Jack, and even that little tidbit of information hadn't been good. But Joey was a sensible man, and there had to be a reason he reacted the way he did. Which scared Yami.

If Joey was scared, then something really had to be bad. Yugi's life had to be in desperate danger—which only increased Yami's anxiety even more. He could feel his heart pounding like a drum, feel his temples and jugular throbbing with each step he took. He was scared, he was so scared. Yugi was missing and could be severely hurt—dead even! And while Yami didn't want to think of that, he knew it was a strong possibility, he knew what kind of man—if he could consider Jack that—Yugi was meeting up with.

But then there was the question why. Why would Yugi go after a man that had nearly killed him? The text messages he had read between the two were incredibly vague and nearly useless. The only reason he had shown them to Joey was because of the last ones that had been sent out just a little while after he and Joey had left.

They shouldn't have left. They should have just stayed at the apartment and gone to bed. This wouldn't have happened if they hadn't gone anywhere!

Yami hadn't drank a lot, but he had enough to get a buzz. He could feel that energizing him, if only a little bit. It was enough to help him trudge on, despite his exhaustion. But his ultimate motivator was fear. The fear of never finding Yugi, and the fear of what condition he would be in should he be found.

It was enough to make Yami cry. And he couldn't recall the last time he had ever cried.

He had been so wrapped up in his own thoughts, he spaced out. Everything became quiet to him but that was all broken in an instant when he heard a young woman's cry nearby.

"Oh my god!" Her screech filled the night air, causing Yami to jar his head up and run towards the cry.

There was a woman with dark hair and a large coat, standing on the edge of the street with her knees buckling. She had her hands cupped around her mouth but they were shaking.

Yami ran closer and came to a screeching halt when he saw what the woman had screamed about.

She slowly took her hands away from her mouth as she looked over towards Yami. "Oh my god…" She whispered it this time, tears starting to fill at the corner of her eyes.

Yami couldn't believe it. He didn't want to believe it. But, he had no choice. In front of him was an alley way with a bundle lying in the center. There was a pool of blood underneath, and the unmistakable colors of Yugi's hair.

"Yugi…" Yami whispered, feeling his voice get caught in his throat. He walked slowly into the alleyway and kneeled down, turning the bundle onto it's back. He let out a sob.

Yugi's face was pale and ghost-like. His eyes were closed and skin felt cold. Yami's hand moved down to his stomach and he grimaced when he felt the coagulated blood. He didn't want to be too rough for fear of breaking the clot, but he felt the need to know what had happened to his love. Based on the amount of blood that had stained Yugi's shirt and the ground he could only come to the conclusion that Yugi had either been stabbed or shot. Both sounded unpleasant. He wished this was all a dream and bit down on his tongue to prove that this was a nightmare and that Yugi was okay.

But he felt his teeth on his tongue and that was it. The dam broke and Yami cried. He reached over and touched Yugi's face, pulling it down near his neck. He felt a weak pulse. It was soft and irregular—but it was there. Yugi was alive. For now.

He looked up at the woman who was crying, staring at sympathetically.

"Help him." Yami whispered, having trouble finding his voice. The woman looked confused.

"HELP HIM!" Yami screamed, not intending to be mean or malicious, but too caught up in his own grief to care for social graces. His love was dying in his arms.

The woman came out of her trance and dug into her pockets pulling out a phone. Yami could hear her, but she sounded distant and far away.

"Hello?...I need an ambulance. There's a boy and he's bleeding—"

Yami rubbed the back of his hand against Yugi's cheek and received no response. He felt tears drip from his eyes. "Please…" He whispered and begged, "please hold on. Don't die Yugi, please don't die."

"He looks like he's been here for a while." The woman's voice was fast and panic filled. "He's unconscious and—"

With his free hand he took hold of Yugi's hand. "Hold on, hold on. Yugi please, I love you. I love you so much. If you die…I don't know what I would do with myself. I don't think I could live without you."

He remembered the first time he met Yugi back at the diner. It had only been a few weeks ago, but it felt like forever. He remembered Yugi's memory lapses, which had seemed to all but go away within these last few weeks. Yami wondered why, but was too upset to give it much attention at the moment.

He heard the woman give the address they were at and she was having a hard time keeping it together. Yami felt touched. She didn't know Yugi, she didn't know him. But she was upset and scared for him, nearly sobbing for a stranger.

Maybe humanity still existed.

"Please hurry." The woman said. "I don't know how much longer he can hang on—he's really bad."

"Don't die Yugi. Do not die. I'm begging you to hold on." Yami could no longer process his emotions. He didn't know what to think or what to say. All he knew was that Yugi had to live.

And that Jack had to pay.

"Please Yugi, please. I love you. I love you."

In the distance, he could hear the sounds of a siren.

-0-0-0-0-0-

**Sage: So if DarkHeart's not dead, where is she?**

** Yami: Probably ran away from your crazy ass.**

** Sage: I'm not crazy!**

** Yami:…You held a mock funeral for your friend without even having a body.**

** Sage: That's a lie. DarkHeart's not my friend. **


	20. White Walls and Gray Doors

**Sage: Apparently this story won Best Puzzleshipping story for May of 2012.**

**Yami: Yeah, yeah. Okay start the search party! **

**Sage: How? How does that happen?**

**Yami: I don't know, and I don't care. We have an AWOL author at the moment, and that is my prime concern.**

**Sage: Why are you even bothering yourself with this?**

**Yami: Because there is only one more pre-written chapter! If DarkHeart isn't found, this story won't get finished! **

**WARNING!—From this point forward, there will be subtle hints of Devotion-shipping (Joey X Anzu) **

-0-0-0-0-

White walls. He was surrounded by white walls. His mind was empty, unable to focus on anything, but what had just happened an hour before—and what was happening now. The ambulance had come and the EMTs had paled when they saw him. They worked fast to try and stable him, but he would need emergency surgery, they said.

They wouldn't let Yami into the ambulance. They said there wasn't enough room and that they needed to do their jobs. Yami tried to plead—he wanted to be there, he needed to be there, for Yugi. But they closed the door in his face and sped away before he could comprehend what all just had happened.

And he was here now, sitting in an incredibly uncomfortable chair in an empty waiting room. Two large grey doors were before him. They had taken Yugi into there, and nobody had come out. Yami was mad and he was scared. He wanted to know what was happening to his friend, his partner. But at the same time he understood the dilemma and didn't want to be in the way of the men doing their job. They were, at that moment, the only thing keeping Yugi alive. But he deserved to know what was going on! He needed to know what was going on. If Yugi was going to survive or not. If he would ever been the same. And yet the doctors and nurses who happened to pass by were ignoring him, giving him no word on Yugi's condition no matter how much he asked and insisted.

Maybe it was because he was hot and sweaty. He had to run the two miles from the alley to the hospital. He couldn't have been the most pleasant sight and smell at the moment, but he didn't care. His love was fighting for his life behind those two grey doors. And nobody had come to tell him what was going on and how Yugi was. It was frustrating and aggravating, but mostly it was frightening. If nobody could take two minutes to come and talk to him, was Yugi worse than he had thought? Was it possible he wouldn't ever come out those doors—without a sheet?

He had been stabbed and was in surgery—that's all the grumpy nurse at the desk had told him. She didn't say how bad he had bled or if he needed a transfusion or not. She didn't say when she thought he would be out and even now she remained silent, not paying Yami any attention as he bounced one leg up and down nervously. She just sat there at her desk, using the computer to update her Facebook. Yami had half a mind to report her—but the other half was still too worried over Yugi.

He had called Joey as soon as he was able to compose himself enough too. It had been hard telling Joey what he knew, and it hurt not being able to answer all of his questions. He was Yugi's best friend and the closest thing to a parental figure the younger teen had. Yami knew it was killing Joey to know that Yugi had been attacked once more, by the same man, and had been left in the same alley that he'd been in the first time.

Yami was shocked to learn that as well. Yugi had almost died in that alley a year ago, and he had almost died in that alley tonight. Yami hesitated to use the word 'almost' because he knew how Yugi looked just those few hours ago. But no one had told him anything, and although he was annoyed by it, he decided that no news was good news. No news was good news.

Suddenly, he heard the sound of heavy footsteps. Yami looked up to see Joey running towards him, with Anzu quickly behind. Joey's face was red with worry, and Anzu's face was wet from crying. Both of them looked like death had knocked on their doors, and it had only been a few hours. They were pale with dark circles under their eyes, and they each looked like they had aged ten years in just one hour.

Joey ran up to the desk, slamming his hands on the countertop.

"Where's Yugi Motou?" He half-screamed, half-whispered.

The nurse seemed to scowl at him. "He's in surgery."

"For how long?"

"I don't know. Whenever the doctors are done."

Joey huffed and turned around, spotting Yami in the chair. He approached the older man and let out a pained sigh.

"How was he?"

Yami found himself unable to answer for a moment. He was still numb, his skin ice cold, going all the way down to his spirit. He sat there for a moment, before he was able to find his voice, and even then Joey had to struggle to hear it.

"He was so cold…and he was bleeding…I…I thought he was going to die right there." He looked up at Joey. "He'd been stabbed…I-I…" Yami found himself unable to continue, and Anzu broke down, letting out a strangled sob.

Joey turned to her, and embraced her for a moment. She placed her head in the crook of his neck, while he patted her back, trying to comfort her.

"It'll be alright." Joey said, but he was trying to convince himself just as much as he was trying to convince her. "You'll see. Yugi's strong, he'll be okay."

"Why?" Anzu cried, though it was muffled. "Why does…everything happen to him? He doesn't deserve any of it!"

"I know." Joey soothed. "He'll be okay, I promise." But once more, Joey did not sound convincing.

As Yami watched the duo, he felt out of place. He didn't belong here. He loved Yugi, but…he didn't know him as well as these two did. They had known Yugi practically their whole lives. There were there for Yugi during the school years with playground bullies. They had been there when his grandfather died, and Yugi risked being sent to an orphanage. They had been there when he was homeless, and when he first met Jack. They had been here after the first incident; they had lived through hell the first time Yugi had been hospitalized. They were going through hell again. Yami could see it in their eyes.

Both of them were strong individuals, but here they stood, crying, their eyes broken. Joey's spirit was gone, and Anzu's strength was dead. They looked like zombies; every action they did seemed to be more out of instinct than any conscious effort. The way they embraced each other, trying to comfort one another…they were family.

And Yami was the adopted child. He was out of place, awkward, and just didn't fit in like he should. These two had known Yugi all their lives. They had watched him suffer, and they made him suffer so he wouldn't have to suffer more. They had tried their very best to protect him, because no one else would, and now, look at where they were.

They were back at the same spot they were a year ago. They thought things were finally getting better. They thought Yugi could finally be happy. And look where they were. Standing in the hospital at some ungodly hour, waiting to hear the news on their friend who had almost died for the second time in his life.

And it wasn't new. They had seen Yugi hurt so many times before, and yet they still acted like their world was over. They loved him so much. They had been there for every bruise, for every cut, for every recovery. They had seen nothing but the suffering their friend had to endure, just because he was smaller and not as strong.

Where had he been while these three _children—_because they were still, very much children—had watched as their World fell apart? Where had he been when Yugi was being held prisoner inside the closet thing he had to a home? Where had he been the first time Yugi was in this hospital? He certainly hadn't been thinking of anyone or anything other than his work and own personal life. He never thought of the people in the hospital, or the people who were suffering on the streets. He had never been put in that position before. But…Joey…Anzu…they had. They had.

Yami didn't belong here. This was the first time for him. And instead of crying, instead of bawling his eyes out, he just sat there, numb to the world, his mind a blank slate. He wanted to cry because he felt like he should be crying, but his well of tears was dry. He couldn't force anything. He tried thinking of every worst case scenario to try and cry but nothing came out.

He was a statue.

He could hear Anzu and Joey murmuring to one another, he could hear the pain in their voices. He wanted to be able to comfort them. They were his friends now…right? Or, had they just put up and tolerated him because they wanted Yugi to be happy? Why wasn't anyone comforting him? Why was he just expected to tell what happen, and then to be ignored? Yami was sure it wasn't intentional, but it still hurt. He wanted to be as much a part of Yugi's life as they were. He wanted to be able to embrace the two teenagers and cry with them, and tell them that everything was going to be okay, even if he didn't believe it himself. He had actually seen Yugi. He had been the one to hold Yugi until the ambulance came. Didn't he deserve comfort and compassion?

He couldn't believe Yugi had been stabbed. He couldn't get the sight out of his mind. Yugi, with blood covering him, barely breathing, skin so pale and gray. He thought the teenager was going to die in his arms. And for all he knew, Yugi had died on cold, hard, surgical table while doctors worked frantically to try and save him. So frantically, that no one could come out and tell them how he was doing, or if he would be okay.

Why would Jack want to kill Yugi? Hadn't they ended their feud a year ago, when Yugi was in a similar position? It didn't make sense. He had gotten away with it. Why would he come back a year later and try to do it again?

"Why?" Yami mumbled, forming words. "Why would he?" He looked up at Joey and Anzu and they glanced at each other. Joey sighed, and looked guilty. He turned to Yami.

"I didn't tell you the whole truth." Joey said. "That day we told you about Jack?...There was something we left out. Something I didn't even tell Yugi. But, he figured it out and now we're in this position. Jack…he's a serial killer."

The words failed to register in Yami's head. "What?"

"There were two girls before Yugi. He killed them both. And a bunch of animals when he was younger. He has no compassion, no mercy. He just slaughtered them. I think he targeted Yugi from the start." Joey's voice was monotonous and slow. "He tried to kill Yugi that one night…" Tears started to leak from Joey's eyes. "But he failed. He failed and now he's come back to finish what he started.

"And Yugi knew! He knew, he fucking knew. He knew Jack would kill him, and maybe he wanted Jack to kill him."

Images flashed in Yami's mind. Ushio standing in front of Yugi with a knife, Yugi pleading with him to 'just do it'. He was suicidal. He never stopped being suicidal. They thought he had, but they were wrong and it was because of their ignorance that Yugi was probably going to die. If only they had paid more attention, if only he and Joey hadn't gone out, none of this would have happened. Yugi would be safe and asleep in his bed, and he would be alive, he would be alive and well, and not fighting for his life. Never fighting for his life because he didn't deserve it. Damn it, damn it! He didn't deserve any of it! He didn't do anything to deserve any of the shit that piled onto his life!

He was a good, kind soul who tried to befriend everybody, and he never hurt anyone and life decided to just walk up to him and say, 'Hey, fuck you' and it was just mean to him, it was so mean.

"God," Joey whispered, his hands folded in prayer, "please, please let him be okay. I don't know what I would do without him, please."

"Joey." Anzu said softly and placed a hand on his shoulder. She gave him a weak smile.

There was the sound of doors opening and the trio looked up to see a doctor coming towards them. Joey immediately stood up and walked towards the man.

"Family of Yugi Motou?" He said, his voice tired and drawn.

"I'm his guardian." Joey said. "How is he, doc? Is he going to be okay?"

The doctor sighed. "We stopped the bleeding and have given him a blood transfusion. He is stable right now, but we need to keep him sedated, otherwise he could pull out his stiches."

"So…he's in a coma?"

"A medically induced one. He'll wake up once we take him off the anesthetics in a few days. It's for the best too. He won't have to be in pain this way."

"So…he'll be okay?" Joey asked, feeling his heart rise.

"Well…" The doctor trailed off. "There is one issue."

"What?"

"Me." A third voice said. Joey turned around to see a woman standing behind him. She had thin rimmed glasses and a tailored suit. She looked to be in her mid-fifties and about as stern as a sixth grade English teacher. "Hello, Mister Wheeler, my name is Regina Sawyers."

"Uh, hi?" Joey said as he went out to shake her hand. "What can I do for you?"

Regina scoffed and pushed her glasses up her nose. "Mister Wheeler, you really should let a lady finish her sentence. I'm from Child Protective Services, and I've been called here about your charge, Mister Yugi Motou."

-0-0-0-0-

**Sage: Come on guys. Don't look a gift horse in the mouth. Maybe DarkHeart being AWOL isn't a bad thing. **

**Yami: You're not getting out of the search. She's your other half. If she's not found, you'll be in danger.**

**Sage:….Damn it! **


	21. Rock Bottom

**Sage, what are you doing?**

** Sage: Eeeh! DarkHeart, you're back! I-I was not selling your things on eBay. No sir! I was being a good girl!...So, where'd you go?**

** Oh that's a funny story actually, you see—**

** Sage: Wait! Wait a minute…I seemed to have stopped caring. **

** But it's an awesome story!**

** Sage: Nope. I'm done caring. **

** …Okay readers! Good news! I'd done with this story! So that means a new chapter every day until it's all posted. Thanks for being so patient with me. **

-0-0-0-0-

All was silent for a short moment as Joey stood there, staring at the woman. He had heard the words she spoke, but it took a moment for them to register in his head, and when they finally did, he snapped.

"No." He hissed, taking a step towards Regina. "You're not going to take him away from me!"

Regina stood her ground, and did not even flinch at Joey's outburst. "Mister Wheeler, this is Yugi's second time in Intensive Care in one year, is it not?"

Joey gritted his teeth, but felt his body tense up. "Yeah, but…"

"Mister Wheeler, I have looked over Yugi's file, and I can say I am not pleased. He's a high school dropout, no GED. He's been orphaned since the age of four, but his grandfather died when he was fourteen. You are his guardian and I must say whatever judge granted you that, needs to have his legal license revoked at once! You are in no condition to be looking after him!"

"That's a load of bull!" Joey retorted. "I'm doing a good job!"

"Take a look around, Mister Wheeler. If you were doing a good job, would we be in the hospital?"

"That's out of my control!" Joey pleaded.

Regina scrunched her nose and a look of disgust came across her face. "Do I smell alcohol on your breath?"

Joey froze and took a step back from Regina. He had forgotten all about going to the bar earlier with Yami. And now this lady could smell it on his breath. He gulped, knowing he had just dug his own grave.

"Underage drinking is a crime, Mister Wheeler." She drug out her sentences, and began to scowl at Joey. "And is certainly not something a responsible guardian would partake in."

"Look lady," Joey growled, "yes, I had some drinks, but it has nothing to do with my ability to take care of Yugi!"

"I find that hard to believe. Were you out drinking while Yugi was out wandering the city by himself, in the middle of the night?"

Joey said nothing. She was right, and was only bringing up a point Joey had berated himself with a hundred times already. If he hadn't gone out, then Yugi wouldn't have gone out after Jack. They all would be sleeping back in the apartment, and wouldn't be going through this hell. Joey wouldn't be fighting back tears right now. He wasn't going to cry in front of this lady. He wasn't going to give her anymore reason to try and take Yugi away.

"When Yugi is well enough to leave, he shall not be going home with you. I shall escort him to the Tokyo Orphanage."

"You can't do that!" Joey said. "He's almost eighteen. Isn't there a statute of limitations on this sort of thing?"

Regina gave him a sympathetic smile. "Children shouldn't be raising children, Mister Wheeler. I'm sorry."

The doctor coughed, interrupting them. It was obvious he felt awkward about standing right behind them and hearing the entire conversation. He felt partly guilty. He had called Regina out here by hospital protocol. It was hard to believe that his patient being in the ICU twice in just the span of one year was merely coincidence.

He didn't have any opinion on Joey's skills as a guardian. He was sure the boy was trying as hard as he could. But, he was still young and wasn't mature enough to handle the responsibilities. He was intoxicated at the moment anyways.

But, it wasn't any of his business what happened to his patient once he recovered. It would be something the courts worked out, not him.

"Sir?" He said, gaining Joey's attention. "You can see your friend if you want." He looked up at the trio to see nothing but sadness and sorrow. "You all can; but we ask you only go in one at a time. Hospital rules, I'm afraid."

Joey snorted and shook his head. "Fuck this. I'm going home." He pushed past the doctor and stormed towards the exit doors, earning confused gazes from Anzu and Yami.

"Joey, wait!" Anzu squealed, going after him. Yami got up from his chair and too began to follow the blonde through the halls. He had no idea what to think of what had just transpired; he had heard every word, but didn't know what to think.

He wouldn't let Yugi be taken away, though. He would do everything in his power to keep Yugi with his friends, where he belonged. He silently promised Joey this as he ran after him. He promised Joey that Yugi wasn't going anywhere. He hadn't seen which way Anzu went, but he followed his own institution, going to way his feet moved.

He stopped, suddenly, seeing Joey. He was standing in front of a wall, his head down and bangs shielding his face. Then, he let out a roar of raw pain and punched the wall in front of him, sending vibrations all the way down. Then, he fell to his knees and pressed his forehead against the wall, taking his other hand and covering his face with it. He began to sob.

Yami exhaled and began to approach Joey slowly, his footsteps echoing in the quiet halls of the hospital. He came behind Joey and gently placed his hand on the blonde's shoulder. Joey didn't even flinch. Yami looked down to see his tears dripping onto the tiled floor. It was a hard sight to take in, but he understood the teenager's pain.

"Hey," Yami said, in the most comforting voice he could muster. He hadn't spoken in hours, and thought he had lost his voice. But, he found It coming back to him as he tried to comfort his friend. "It'll be okay; Yugi's alive." Yami couldn't help but smile as he spoke the fact. He hadn't expected his small love to survive. He hated thinking that, but he was so sure that the young teen would've died. But, he was alive. And Yami was thrilled at that fact.

"Yugi's alive." Yami repeated. "He's going to be okay. He's going to be okay."

Joey took his hand away from his face, but didn't face Yami. "You know where I was the last time I cried?" His voice was low and dry, no emotion evident in it.

Yami said nothing.

"I was right here. This exact spot. The doctors told me that Yugi was going to die. They said the odds of him recovering were astronomical."

"But we know what happened." Yami said. "Yugi beat the odds, and he's going to beat the odds again."

"They offered me the option of pulling the plug."

Yami froze when he heard those words.

"And…I almost went through with it."

Yami felt his tongue becoming fat in his mouth and his throat grew dry. Had he heard that right? Joey almost took Yugi off life support? He couldn't see Joey doing that; the love he had for Yugi was so strong; the care he had for the younger teen. How could he possibly even have thought of pulling the plug?

"I hate myself for saying it, and you probably hate me now too. But…I felt like I didn't have much of a choice. Yugi was going to die either way, they said. There was no way he could completely recover from such an injury. So, for three days I sat by his bed while he laid in a coma, and I thought to myself, 'What the hell am I going to do?'. If I take him off life support, I would've killed my best friend. But, I also would've been saving him from a life time of pain and misery. But, would I have been? What if life got better for him after this? What if he did recover? If he did wake up, would he even want to live?

"Yugi always saw the bright side of things and every time the World pushed him down he got right back up on his feet again…but I didn't think that he would be able to recover from what happened. The physical wounds were bad, but the emotional…"

Joey turned around and looked at Yami, his eyes red and puffy. Yami felt his heart go out for the younger man. Nobody should have to go through so much emotional torment. No one should have that choice, the choice of allowing your friend to live or die, placed upon them.

"In the end…I couldn't do it. I couldn't kill him. And," a broken sob, "it was a good thing too. Because he woke up. He woke up, he beat the odds, by God he was going to be okay. He was healing and he did his best to try and get over all that happened, he did his best to recover from the wounds…I thought I had made the right call. And look where we are now. Back in the same bloody hospital, with the same bloody circumstances…" He took a pause. "I'm going to lose my best friend."

Yami tightened his grip on Joey's shoulder. "Don't talk like that. Nothing is going to happen. Yugi's not going anywhere. I promise."

He hoisted Joey up to his feet. "Now come on. Let's go see him."

Joey shook his head. "No." He said.

Yami paused again. "What do you mean 'no'? Don't you want to see him?"

"I-I do. But…there's something else that needs to be done. Something important."

"What could be more important than seeing your best friend?"

Joey's eyes darkened at that moment and a murderous glint shone in them. "Nothing, but….You'll see. Come on, let's go back to the apartment…I can't bear to see him…not yet."

Yami nodded and he helped the blonde up to his feet. Yugi was under the anesthetic. He would be fine for a while. But Joey was a mess. He looked how Yami felt. In the end, Yami decided that Joey was a bigger priority at the moment. He would take him home and let him sleep. They would figure everything out in the morning. They went in search of Anzu and then they went back home.

-0-0-0-0-

Yami sat on the couch. The couch he should have been sleeping on. But no, he had to go out and have some drinks while Yugi almost got himself killed. He sighed and buried his head in his hands. Anzu had gone home. She was tired and wanted to get some sleep. Yami could tell she was upset and needed to be alone to grieve and come to terms with everything that had happened.

Yami was amazed at how well the two teenagers were handling this. They were angry and upset and just genuinely pissed off at the world. Yet when they spoke they were quiet and quick to the point. They wanted just to get this over with as quickly as possible. Yami wasn't what to do. He knew Joey was anxious and stressed at the idea that Yugi could be taken away from him, but what could they do? It seemed everything was out of their control. Yami remembered Joey murmuring to himself on the way home, saying, 'I should have emancipated him'.

But they couldn't emancipate him now. It would be obvious why they were doing it, and no judge would grant that leisure to Yugi. Yami couldn't think of anything he could do. He couldn't tell them he was in a relationship with Yugi—he was nearly five years older. Normally it wouldn't make a difference, but with Yugi still being a minor…it was technically pedophilia. That would only put Joey in a deeper grave, and Yami would potentially face jail time. Everything was just messed up and there wasn't a thing they could do about it. It was looking like they might not be able to do anything from CPS taking Yugi away.

Yami didn't know what he would do if he couldn't see Yugi. And he could only imagine what that pain would be like for Joey. The two were brothers. They both had dealt with so much together. Yami didn't think it possibly that the two could survive without each other.

Suddenly, Joey appeared beside Yami with an empty look in his eyes. "Come with me." He said, looking over his shoulder. "I have something to show you."

Yami followed Joey into his bedroom. He stood by the door while Joey got on his knees and reached for something under the bed. He pulled out an old shoebox that had been covered in dust. Joey treated it with caution, handling it very delicately. He gently blew on it, spraying the dust everywhere. Then he sat up on the bed and opened it.

Yami walked closer to see what it was. And when Joey pulled it out, he had to suppress a gasp. Joey was holding a silver pistol and he was staring at it with such an empty gaze. He glanced up at Yami and saw the older man's reaction.

"I told you I had a gun." He said softly.

"Yes…but why?"

Joey's grip on the weapon tightened and he seemed to glare. "To protect my family. Yugi, Anzu…They're my family. I've been doing a shitty job lately, but I'm going to make things right."

"H-how?" Yami sputtered out, flabbergasted at the dark look that was coming in Joey's eyes.

"Remember when I said I would torture Jack until he killed himself?"

Yami nodded numbly.

"I'm going to have to forget that plan. I'm going to send that bastard straight to hell where he belongs." Joey stood up and placed the gun in his jacket pocket, and Yami was surprised to see how well hidden it was. The pockets didn't look that big…

"But-but how? You don't know where he is!"

"I'll find him. If I have to turn over every stone, look behind every building, ask every worthless low life on the street, I will do whatever it takes to find him. Besides…I think I have a good idea of where to start."

"You do?"

Joey nodded. "Yeah…are you going to come with me?"

"You want me to help you kill a man?"

"A man who deserves no less."

"That may be…but what about what happens after that? You'll go to jail! You could be sentenced to death! Joey, think this through. If you know where he is, just call the police. Don't put yourself in danger. Don't risk throwing your life away for this asshole."

Joey looked directly at Yami, and the older man felt as though Joey was looking into his very soul.

"That asshole tried to kill my brother not once, but twice. That asshole beat him, and kept such an emotional hold on him, he still thinks he's not worth the gum on my shoes. That asshole kept him prisoner! And tonight, that asshole's going to pay. I don't care what happens to me as long as Yugi is avenged and Jack pays the price. So I'm going to ask you again: Are. You. Coming?"

The seriousness in Joey's voice brought goose bumps to Yami's skin. The drawl in it made the older man know how sure Joey was of his decision. He knew Jack deserved death. He wanted to kill the man too after all he had done to Yugi…but could he actually do it? Imagining something and really doing it were two different things. Completely, totally, and utterly different.

He was scared. He didn't want to go after a man who had killed two girls and almost killed his love. But he knew he couldn't let Jack continue to walk on this Earth. He would only hurt more people, and would more than likely continue to go after Yugi until he did kill him.

Yami loved Yugi too much to put his life in danger like. He was scared as hell, but he knew that this had to be done. He looked at Joey and stiffly nodded.

He inhaled deeply. "Let's do this." He barely managed to whisper.

-0-0-0-0-

**So…doesn't anyone want to know where I've been?**

** Sage: Not really.**

** Yami: It's none of my business.**

** Joey: You were gone?**

** But…but! It involves hitchhikers and kick-boxing granddad's and a chinchilla! **

** Sage: Sounds boring.**

** Yami: Sounds like something out of a Pulp Fiction movie.**

** Joey: You were gone?**

** …..I hate all of you. **


	22. It's All Over

**Please note: I do not condone what Joey and Yami do in this chapter. In fact, I tried to argue with them. But, Joey has a gun…It is not wise to argue with someone who has a gun.**

**Sage:…..Are you retarded?**

**No! I am not retarded! I-*stands up*-am a writer!**

**Sage:…..Get off the counter, you moron. **

-0-0-0-0-

It was idiotic. It was beyond stupid. It was suicide. All these things ran through Yami's head as he followed Joey down the road during the early morning hours. The blonde had barely spoken a word since they left the apartment just a little under an hour ago. Yami didn't know why he agreed to this, and more importantly, why he was letting Joey do this. If Joey did find Jack, and if he did…if he did manage to do something to Jack…he'd be throwing his entire life away. He'd go to jail faster than he could blink. Even if Jack deserved nothing less, Joey would've still killed a man. He wouldn't be any better than Jack.

Two wrongs didn't make a right.

But then again, why was he following Joey if he knew this was wrong? If things went how they should, he would go to jail for being an accomplice. He would throw his entire life away as well. He didn't want to send the next thirty years of his life in jail. But yet, he hadn't said anything to Joey to try and stop and convince him not to do it. And he hadn't turned around and gone home. He was just as guilty as Joey right now.

He didn't want to be responsible for a man's death, no matter how deserved it was. But when he closed his eyes all he could see was Yugi's near lifeless body lying on the dirty ground. That image alone sent anger and hatred through his veins so strong he thought it made his blood boil. He wanted, no he _had_, to do this. He had to do it to avenge Yugi. He had to do it to protect Yugi. Because as long as Jack walked on this earth, Yugi was in danger. The man tried to kill Yugi twice already; there was no question he would continue to try until he succeeded. He was a serial killer.

Yami looked over towards Joey. He could smell the agitation that was radiating off of his body. He could see the outline of every muscle, because Joey was holding himself so tense, they just seemed to pop out of his skin.

He looked like someone who wanted to commit a crime. Yami knew he should be trying to talk Joey out of it. He was supposed to be the adult in this situation. There had to be a better way to deal with this. Why couldn't they just call the police? They could handle this situation, and they could do it in a way that would not put Joey, Yugi, and himself in any foreseeable danger. For all Yami knew, he and Joey were walking into their deaths.

But all he had to do was look into Joey's eyes. He could smell the determination radiating off him, and he knew that it would do no good trying to talk to Joey. He had already made up his mind.

Either he died, or Jack died.

Suddenly, Joey stopped dead in his tracks, and Yami narrowly avoided bumping into him. He looked up and saw a large apartment complex. It was five stories high, and many windows were still dark, indicating that the people inside were still sleeping. But, Yami didn't think they'd be asleep for much longer. Not if he and Joey did what they came here for.

But there was still one question on Yami's mind…

"How do you know if he's here?" Yami asked. Joey tensed up and clenched his fists.

"I just do." Joey said quietly. His voice was snappy and harsh, but Yami was not affected by it. He, for the most part, was still emotionally numb, his mind trailing back to Yugi. Yugi, alone in the hospital. He was alive, but he had almost died.

"How?" Yami whispered. "How do you know he's here?"

"Something in my heart." Joey said. "It just knows. I can't explain it, but there is not a doubt in my mind that Jack is in there." Joey raised a finger and pointed to one of the few windows that had a light shining out of it. "In apartment 5-C. He's in there, probably drunk as hell, laughing his ass off. Because he thinks he's won."

Joey turned to face Yami, and for a moment he looked possessed. His eyes were dark and glazed over. His skin seemed to have turned an ashy color, making him look more like the walking dead than a human being.

"I can't wait to see the look on his face when I tell him he's lost." Joey muttered. Then, he bounded up the stairs and Yami was quick to follow, not thinking clearly anymore. He had to protect Joey. He knew there was no way he'd be able to explain things to Yugi if this went bad. If Joey died, Yugi would be beyond devesated.

And Yami knew he would be too. Joey had become a friend within these last few weeks. He and Joey may not have gotten along earlier, but that was all in the past now. They both were doing this to protect Yugi. But Yami needed to protect Joey as well. He hadn't thought of it earlier, but Joey had become like a brother to him. If he didn't protect Joey, or at least try too, there was no way he would be able to live with himself. There was no way he would ever be able to look Yugi honestly in the eyes again.

Yugi was the love of his life. Of that he had no doubts. Yami knew why they were here. Yami knew why they needed to do this. He had to make sure that for once in his life, Yugi didn't need to be scared. He wanted Yugi to feel loved and protected. He wanted Yugi to be safe and happy and well. And as long as this monster was still roaming the streets, none of that would be possible.

The two men reached the top of the stairs and were right in front of the door. Joey gripped the gun by its holster and motioned for Yami to be quiet.

Yami tensed up and exhaled. 'Be careful', he mouthed, too afraid to speak. Joey nodded then knocked rapidly on the door. Within just a few moments, it opened, and in the door way stood Jack.

….

…

…

"Well," he said, "lookie who it is. Tell me Wheeler, how's your head?"

Joey drew his gun out and pointed it straight at Jack's face, leaving only a few inches of room between them. "Get inside." Joey barked.

Jack raised his hands up in self-defense and took a few steps back so that he was once again inside the apartment. Joey entered and Yami quickly followed, closing and locking the door behind him.

"Eh, you brought him along?" Jack said, smirking. "This is such a nice get together. I wish you would've told me you were coming. I would've bought some nicer wine."

"Shut it, you bastard!" Joey yelled, the gun shaking in his uncertain hands. "You know why we're here."

"I suppose I do, don't I?" Jack said in a cooing voice. "You should be proud. Little Yugi faced his death like a man. He didn't even cry. Much."

Yami could see the struggle Joey was having as he listened to Jack speak. 'Why hasn't he done it yet?' Yami wondered. 'Why hasn't he shot him?' He could've done it already, and the two of them would be all the way down the block by now. What was Joey waiting for? A more opportune moment? Yami didn't think they'd have many.

"Little Yugi did it all for you, too. He died in an attempt to protect his so called friends. Isn't that sweet? He was far more concerned for your safety than his own. Enough that he agreed to meet me knowing he would die. I guess he has more balls than I gave him credit for."

Joey fumed. He wanted to pull the trigger, he desperately wanted too. He couldn't go listening to this mad man talk about Yugi like he was nothing more than a broken toy. He couldn't go on listening to Yugi be insulted and demeaned. He came here to do one thing and one thing only—kill Jack. Kill him so Yugi could be safe. Kill him so the two girls could be avenged. Kill him so no other human being would have to fear him again.

But he found himself frozen. All he could do was stand there as Jack continued to speak. The wording he choose and the tone he used was so distance, so inhumane, Joey thought he would be physically ill.

"You know, I'm glad he didn't die that first night. This one was so much more enjoyable. He had finally given up, just like he was supposed to one year ago. He had given up on everything and embraced death with open arms."

"Shut up…" Joey murmured, trying to find his voice, his authority. Under any normal circumstances, he would've been on this man's throat from the get-go. But now, he was hesitant. Why couldn't he just pull the damn trigger? That's all he had to do. Just one tug with his finger and this would be all over with. Yugi wouldn't have to worry about this creep anymore. Nobody would have to worry about this creep anymore.

"So tell me, Wheeler," Jack said, "when's the funeral?"

Joey felt an ironic smirk form at the corners of his mouth. Finally, Jack had said something Joey could use against him. He wouldn't have to be at a loss for words anymore. He could steal the control and power in this situation. He would be the one in control, and Jack would be the one begging for his life.

He still thought he had won, when in reality, he had the most important game of his life.

"I hope you're talking about your own." Joey said, looking Yugi's near murderer in the eye. "Because that's the only funeral that's going to be held."

"Still in denial, blondie? It's okay; it probably takes a long time to let the fact that your best friend is dead sink in."

"I have no idea what you're talking about. My best friend isn't dead."

Joey watched with pleasure as the smirk fell from Jack's face into a serious frown. His eyes darkened even more than they had before and he unconsciously took a step backwards. "What the hell are you talking about, kid?"

"You heard me." Joey said, his volume increasing as his confidence rose. "Yugi isn't dead." For some reason, Joey heard himself laugh. "He's still alive. You failed again, Jack! You failed!"

"The brat is still alive? How?"

Yami could see the veins in Jack's temples throb, and he knew that things were about to get ugly. But he wasn't going to stand in the background. He had the change to confront the man who had ruined Yugi's life; he wasn't going to let this opportunity slip.

"Because of me." Yami interjected, earning Jack's attention. "I found Yugi and I called the ambulance."

Jack scoffed. "I should've known. I should've done more than slash your tires. I should've killed you."

Yami gritted his teeth. He wasn't surprised to learn that Jack had been the one to sabotage his car. He should've known from the beginning that it was Jack who did it, especially considering everything that had happened to Joey and Anzu within the last few days.

"I'd seen you with him. At the restaurant, on the side of the road. You've done nothing but undo all the damage I spent a year inflicting! All of you!"

"Why?" Yami hissed. "Why do you want to hurt him in the first place? He did nothing to you!"

Jack smirked and his eyes seemed to relax. "Does anyone need a reason for anything?" Then, he turned his attention back to Joey. "So blondie. Are you going to kill me, or are you just going to stand there gawking?"

'Damn it,' Joey thought to himself. 'Just do it! Pull the trigger! Pull the damn trigger and kill this bastard, kill him and send him to hell, send him to hell where he belongs!'

But Joey still found himself trembling, the gun starting to feel very heavy in his hands. Why couldn't he do it? It was just one flick of his finger and it would be all over. Yugi would be safe. The two girls would be avenged. Nobody would ever have to worry or be afraid of him again. There would only be positive outcomes as far as Joey was concerned. He didn't care if he went to jail. As long as Yugi was safe, it would all be worth it. Nothing bad would come out of it.

So why couldn't he do it?

Joey swallowed a lump that had formed in his throat, and he found his arms growing tired. They fell some, and the gun ended up pointed towards the ground. Joey looked away in disgust.

"I can't do it." He said.

"Excuse me?" Jack said, in a mocking tone. "What did you say?"

"I can't do it." Joey repeated, louder and more aggressive. "I can't kill you. You deserve nothing less and you know it. But I can't kill you."

Jack smirked. "Of course you can't. It takes a strong person to take another life. I wouldn't expect someone as pathetic as you to be able to commit murder."

Yami watched carefully, and suddenly, and idea came to him. With Jack being too preoccupied with Joey, Yami discretely reached into his pocket for his cell phone. Without pulling it out, Yami was able to dial 9-1-1. All he had to do was wait and hope that the operator on the other line could hear what was being said; they could get a confession out of Jack. And then all he and Joey would have to do is wait for help to come. Everything would be okay. Joey didn't have to kill Jack. But that didn't necessarily mean Jack wouldn't kill Joey.

Yami could faintly hear a soft voice say, '9-1-1, what's your emergency?', but he wasn't sure if it was just his imagination or not. Either way, it didn't matter. Yami knew he needed to stall Jack long enough for him to say the right words, and for police to come.

"So," Yami said, raising his volume slightly, "you're saying you enjoy killing people?"

_Say the right words, say the right words, say the right words and you'll get the right answers_

Jack gave a Joker grin. "Enjoy is a strong word to use. The killing is nothing. I enjoy what leads up to that."

"You torture them!" Joey spat. "You tortured Yugi, and you tortured Amanda and Jackie! I know all about those cases. I've read everything on them!" Joey was nearly forming at the mouth by now, and Yami could feel himself tensing up. Jack would shoot him a look every now and then. Did he know he had called the police? Yami tried to be as relaxed as possible, but it was getting harder and harder with each passing moment.

"You mean you can actually read?" Jack said, "Wow. I guess it's not true what they say, then. Looks like you can teach an old dog new tricks."

"Enough of that!" Yami snapped. He had to keep the bickering going, but it would look odd if he didn't join in as well. He didn't need Jack to get suspicious. The police should already be arriving. They should have been able to trace the signal coming from his phone. Where were they?

Jack then dug into his pocket and pulled out a knife. It didn't take Joey or Yami long to realize that that had been the knife he used on Yugi. Seeing the weapon still red with his blood, Yami struggled to keep himself put. His thoughts were becoming animalistic. He wanted to charge at Jack and kill him.

But he couldn't. He just had to wait, and continue to keep Jack talking. It took every ounce of will power he had, but Yami was able to keep himself put.

"Now," Jack said, looking over at Joey, "I can see that you two know what this is. How does it feel, Wheeler, to see the weapon that almost killed Yugi? You don't want me to use this on you, do you? I don't think so. Now, put the gun down, and no one has to get hurt."

Joey wasn't sure what Jack was planning. A gun against a knife? Was there any question which would win? But, it wouldn't do any good if he couldn't get himself to pull the trigger. Then it'd be a matter of a knife against a blunt object…..Was there any question which would win?

Joey debated with himself for several moments, but it to him it seemed like eternity. Finally, he dropped the gun. If he died, at least he died trying. But even he knew that was zero consolation.

"Now, kick it over."

Joey felt like a robot as he did what was ordered. The gun slide across the floor and Jack bent down to pick it up. It was all over now. Jack was going to shoot the both of them. Joey felt guilty at having drug Yami into this. There was no reason for him to have to die too. This had been all his idea, anyways. Yami had even tried to talk him out of it.

And what about Yugi? He hadn't just failed Yugi. He had abandoned Yugi to go on a suicide mission.

'At least he'll have Anzu,' Joey thought, seeing that as his only silver lining. But even that was dull because then he realized he'd left Anzu too. He'd left her. He wished she was here right now, just so he could hear her voice one more time. He knew she'd be screaming at him, but it wouldn't matter because at least she would be there and he could tell her he loved her.

Joey swallowed and said a small prayer inside his head. He prayed that Yugi be okay. He prayed that Yugi didn't have to hurt anymore. And then he looked towards Jack, and saw the Grim Reaper.

"Say good night, boys." Jack said and pointed the gun towards Joey. Joey clamped his eyes shut and prepared for the pain. He never thought he'd die like this.

Just as Jack was about to pull the trigger, there was a loud slam.

"This is the police!" A voice called from behind the door as it knocked harshly once more. "Open up!"

The police? Jack seemed just as confused as Joey, but Yami didn't. Joey felt relief flood through him. Somehow, Yami had done it.

"I have hostages!" Jack shouted, which instantly brought back all the worry to Joey. "Come in and I shoot!"

Joey and Yami looked right at each other and they knew they were screwed. The police wouldn't risk their lives. But, they couldn't just stay in here forever. They needed to get the police in. And Yami knew just what he had to do. He had to make the police think they had already been shot. If they thought he and Joey were already hurt, then they wouldn't hesitate to break down the door.

"Come out with your hands up." The officer said, slowly and calmly this time. "Come out and nobody gets hurt."

"Oh, but people are going to get hurt." Jack said bitterly. "And there's nothing you can do about it!"

"And there's nothing you can do about it!" Yami said. Jack turned his head towards him.

"What do you mean?"

Yami took a step back. "You can't hurt us." Yami tempted. "You think you're all big and mighty, but in reality you're weak and spineless! You're a cockroach among men! I could take you!"

"Yami!" Joey hissed. "What are you doing?"

Yami ignored Joey and continued on with his plan. "You kill because you're weak. You can't handle the fact that you're nothing but a coward! You say you went after Yugi because he was weak, but that's a lie. Yugi's twice the man you'll ever be. He's Hercules compared to you! You're Narcissus. You like to hear yourself talk, but that's it. You. Are. Weak."

Yami felt himself breathing heavily, hoping his plan had worked. He would have to be fast, but he could do it. He knew he could. He had to do it for Yugi. He had to make it out alive for Yugi.

Jack scoffed and began to shake his head. "I'm going to make you eat those words." Then he raised his gun and pulled the trigger.

The booming sound echoed throughout the apartment and Yami dodged before he even heard it. He heard a lamp behind him shatter as the bullet collided into it and then he was back standing.

The knocking on the door was more rampant. "Open up!"

"I'll shoot them!" Jack shouted, his face turning blood red with anger, "I'll shoot them and kill them both!"

"You can try." Joey said, realizing Yami's plan. "But if you couldn't kill Yugi—"

He didn't even get to finish his sentence before he had to duck to avoid another bullet. This one hit the door, going through it completely. He could hear the gasps of surprise from the officers and hoped they would come in soon. Jack still had plenty more bullets, and Joey didn't know if he could dodge them all.

He heard the police beginning to kick at the door. They would be here any minute, Joey tried to tell himself. He just had to wait long enough. Jack aimed the gun at him again and Joey darted to his left, feeling the bullet graze his forearm. Joey let out a hiss out pain as blood began to drip down from the wound. But he would be okay. He hadn't gotten shot.

Three down, three to go.

The police began to pound on the door even harder. Joey could hear the hinges rattle. They were getting closer. They just had to wait only a few more minutes.

Jack shot another bullet aimed at Yami this time. Yami dropped to the ground , but never found out where the bullet went because he had to roll to avoid the next one Jack shot at him.

Then, the door busted open and four police officers were standing in the doorway.

"Freeze!" One of them yelled, but then swayed to avoid the bullet Jack shot at him.

"You won't take me!" Jack hissed. Then he pulled the trigger.

_Click. _

He pulled again.

_Click._

Jack looked at the gun to try and figure out what happened, not realizing he had run out of bullets, when the officers charged and tackled him to the ground. Jack fought against them, but in the end, it was four against one and he was no match. They flipped him onto his stomach and managed to cuff him.

Yami looked over at Joey and their eyes locked. Each nodded. It was over. It was all over. Jack was going to go to jail. Yugi would never have to worry about him again. He would be safe. No one was ever going to hurt him again. Yami was going to make sure of that. He knew he loved Yugi. He had risked his life just to protect them. There was no doubt in his heart that he and Yugi were meant to be together. And now they could.

There would be nothing standing in their way now. Now that Jack was out of the way, Joey wouldn't see him as a threat anymore. Joey wouldn't have to feel protective over Yugi. They could all be together now, as friends, and maybe even family.

Three of the officers managed to wrestle Jack onto his feet and lead him out of the apartment and down the stairs.

The fourth officer came over the question Yami and Joey about what exactly had just happened.

It really was all over.

-Three Days Later-

Yugi was in the beginning stages of waking up. The doctor had said he could go home in a few hours, just as long as he was careful with his stitches.

The part Yami and Joey had been most stressed about was in progress. The two were talking with the CPS agent, Mrs. Sawyers. She certainly hadn't been too happy after learning that Yami and Joey had almost been murdered. She lectured them about being 'impulsive,' and 'reckless' of 'not thinking at all about the consequences of going after a serial murderer'.

Yami and Joey listened without interrupting. They didn't want to do anything to make her mad; she didn't need any more reason to take Yugi away and put him in an orphanage.

Yami had been too caught up in the heat with Jack to even remember that Yugi was at risk for getting taken away. Now he didn't know what to do. If Yugi got taken away, he'd die inside. And he couldn't even begin to think of how it would affect Joey. Joey had spent a good part of his life protecting Yugi and making sure he didn't get put in a home.

"And furthermore," Mrs. Sawyers continued on, "what if Yugi hadn't been in the hospital? What if you had taken him with you?"

"I would never do that." Joey said, and Yami could see the struggle Joey fought to keep his temper in control. It really hurt that he was being judged on his abilities as not just a guardian, but as a friend. "Yugi's safety has always been my primary concern! That's why I went after that bastard. I did it to protect Yugi."

"Mr. Wheeler, the evidence stacked against you is exceptional. I found in my records that you used to be a gang banger!"

Joey's eyes fell.

"You're a high school dropout and work as a bellhop. You're gone for sometimes two days at a time! You get drunk, even though you're under-aged, while Yugi roams around the city at night getting into knife fights. And then you go after his assailant!"

Having his sins being place out in front of him so blatantly was making Joey hate himself. Maybe they were right. Maybe he was unfit to be taking care of Yugi.

"I believe it is in Yugi's best interest that he be placed in a foster home. However,"

Joey's ears perked up. However? However was good right?

"My supervisor is convinced that your dedication to Yugi is enough for you to keep your guardianship. And, it appears that there is a statute of limitations."

"So," Joey said, "Yugi gets to stay with me?"

"Mr. Motou gets to stay with you."

Joey wanted to cheer and scream, but he did his best to remain calm. "Th-thank you." He said, as calmly as he could.

"I shall be checking up on your periodically, unannounced, until he comes of age to make sure you're doing as good a job as we think you're doing."

Joey nodded. "Yes, of course. Anything!"

Mrs. Sawyers smiled. "Have a good day, you two. Remember, I'll be keeping my eye on you."

-0-0-0-0-

By the time they returned to Yugi's room, he had woken up, and Anzu was sitting by his bedside, trying to engage him in conversation.

"You want anything to eat or drink?" She asked.

Yugi shook his head. "No thanks." His voice was hoarse and his skin was a little pale, but he appeared fine.

"You know what the doctor said. You have to eat something before they'll let you go home."

"But I'm not hungry."

"Just try to force something down. Even some soup is better than nothing."

"You're not going to let this drop until I say yes, are you?"

"Nope."

"Fine." Yugi sighed, though a smile came to his lips. "Get me some soup, please?"

Anzu ruffled his hair. "Sure thing, Yugi." She got up and left the room, stopping to say hi to Yami and Joey.

Joey walked up to Yugi's bed. "You ready to go home?"

Yugi nodded.

"Just so you know, I'm putting you under house arrest. Even if I have to handcuff you to the bed, you're not leaving."

"You don't trust me?" Yugi said, mimicking Joey's tone.

"I have to make sure you don't do anything stupid again. You almost gave me a heart attack."

"This is the thanks I get for trying to protect my friends?"

"This is the thanks you get for almost getting yourself killed."

Yami was amazed at the way the two communicated. Yami knew Joey was still upset at Yugi about keeping Jack texting him a secret, yet he was able to keep his cool and joke around with Yugi, who seemed not to be fazed by what Joey was saying. Yami thought some of it could be considered hurtful.

But that had to be the friendship the two had.

Yami wished that one day, his and Yugi's relationship would be that strong. Maybe even stronger. He was in love with Yugi. And he wanted Yugi to know that every day for the rest of his life. He wanted Yugi to wake up knowing that there was someone—several people—who loved him, and only wanted the best for him.

He wanted Yugi to know that there was no reason to be afraid of the World. He wanted Yugi to know that nobody was going to hurt him ever again. As long as Yami lived, he would do whatever it took to protect Yugi. If anyone even thought of hurting him, Yami would not hesitate to do whatever it took to protect Yugi.

Or Joey.

Or Anzu.

He cared about them just as much as he cared about Yugi. They had become his friends in this long process as well.

Yami knew Yugi loved him too. The doctors did an MRI of his brain during the three days he was unconscious. His hippocampus, the part of the brain that controls memory, was almost completely healed.

Yami knew his memory problems had gotten better over the last few weeks, but now they were almost gone.

He smiled. Yugi's life had finally gotten better.

-0-0-0-0-

**Well, all that's left is the epilogue, which you shall see tomorrow! Does posting four days in a row make up for the inconsistent posting these last two months?**

**Sage: No.**

**Damn!...Well, at least this story is finally coming to a close. It's been hard. **

**Sage: Stop whining and make me a sandwich.**

**But—**

**Sage: Sandwich, wench!**

…**.**


	23. Epliogue

**This story is finished! Yes!  
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**Sage: Finally.  
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**While this was a fun experience, I don't know if I'll ever write yaoi again...I think I prefer Yugi/Yami friendship, angst fics. Thanks to everyone who stuck with me. I know this took a long time to come out. So, without further ado, here is: The End.  
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****-0-0-0-0-0-

**Six Months Later**

With his suitcase by his side, Yugi turned around at the front door and looked around the apartment that had been his home for the last six months. It felt weird when had and Joey first moved here. At the time, Yugi never imagined living in a place as luxurious as this. But ever since Joey started working alongside Yami at the Kaiba Corporation, he had been making nearly four times as much as he had just working as a bellhop.

Anzu had quit her job as manager of the diner, telling her father she wanted to go to New York and fulfill her dream as a dancer. She had saved up enough money working her job to pay for the plane ticket, and she managed to land a full-ride scholarship at her school of choice, so there were no tuition or rent expenses. Knowing Anzu was no longer there gave Yugi the courage to quit his job there and help out in the community. He had become an advocate for people involved in domestic abuse. He spent many hours at the local shelter for battered women where he shared his story and listened to theirs. It made them feel better to know that not just women got into those kinds of situations; men can too. It made them see that none of it had been their fault.

Together they cried, and laughed, and healed.

And when he wasn't doing that, Yugi had begun to duel competitively. People were still talking about his duel with Kaiba, and they wanted to try and defeat the person who had bested the national champion.

It had all been like a dream come true. Yugi was able to do what he loved, and he didn't have to worry about getting the rent paid, or if there would be enough money for groceries. With Joey's new salary, and the money he won from tournaments, money would no longer be a problem.

Yugi sighed and grabbed the handle of his suitcase. He hadn't lived here long, but this apartment was still full of memories. He felt himself about to cry as he thought of leaving, but then he reminded himself that he was moving onto bigger and better things. He would still see Joey all the time. In fact, he wasn't moving that far away. His new apartment was just one floor up.

Joey came out from his bedroom, giving Yugi a sheepish smile. "You finally moving out?" He said sarcastically.

"You know how much I want to get away from you." Yugi replied, returning the smile.

"Well it took you long enough. Now I can finally have my own place!"

"Yeah, but now you have to cook your own food and clean your own bathroom."

Joey's smile fell and he snapped his fingers. "Always a down side." He looked over at Yugi and felt the smile return. "I'm happy for you, Yuge. I'm gonna miss ya."

"It's not like I'm moving far away, Joey. I'll be right above your head."

"I know. But it's still exciting. I finally get you out of my hair." Joey rubbed at Yugi's head, and earned a slap on the wrist from the disgruntled teenager.

"So," Yugi said, "I'll see you tonight, right?"

Joey smiled. "Of course, Yuge."

-0-0-0-0-

Later that day, Yugi brought in the last box into his new apartment. He set it down onto the floor and took some time to look around. He didn't remember the first time he had been inside this apartment. He had been so drunk he didn't even remember being in here. It had been quite a shock to him when he learned that his first time in the apartment was actually his second.

It was a lot like the one he had just left, but with some different furniture. He could hear some noises coming from one of the back bedrooms and he went over there. He saw Yami organizing some of his belongings he'd brought up, treating each of them with the utmost caution. Yugi smiled. Things sure had changed.

"What're you up too?" Yugi asked.

"I'm helping you unpack." Yami answered as he kicked an empty box to the side.

"You don't have to do that. I can figure it out on my own."

Yami shook his head. "No can do. You know you still need to be careful. The fact that you carried most of these up here is concerning enough."

Yugi rolled his eyes. Yami's concern had been cute when he was on doctor ordered bed rest and on enough morphine he was always in a constant half-awake, half-asleep stage. But even after the doctor said he'd healed enough to continue with day to day activities (as long as he take them slow and easy) Yami still treated him like some kind of fragile doll. He loved Yami, he did. But sometimes he was just like Joey had been. His intentions were good, he was just suffocating and babying Yugi.

Of course considering how things were going for them...maybe that wouldn't be a bad thing.

"I'm fine, Yami." Yugi answered, opening a box of his clothes. "The doctor said I was fine. I feel fine. You don't have to do everything for me."

Yami sighed. "I know, I know. I just can't help it." Yami stood up and walked over next to Yugi. "I just want to make sure you don't hurt yourself. Especially considering what today is. I have a surprise planned for you, and I don't want you to ruin it for yourself by hurting yourself."

"You just want to get into my pants."

Yami let out a small laugh. Yugi had really begun to utilize sarcasm to his advantage the more time he'd spent with Yami.

"Not at all, Yugi. I'm much more romantic than that." He gave Yugi a quick kiss on the lips. "If you want to help, fine. Just be careful."

Yugi smiled. "Does that mean I can't jump on the bed?"

"I don't think it would be wise."

"Can I jump over Joey's head? He's in the apartment right under us."

"Probably not a good idea, either."

"How about—"

"No."

Yugi pouted. "Killjoy."

-0-0-0-0-

The last few months had consisted mostly of doctor's visits for Yugi. But there were other things that popped out now and then. Meetings with lawyers, judges, police officers. He had even met the parents of Jackie and Amanda, the two girls Jack had killed years ago.

Jack…

Yugi knew he was in jail now. Two counts of first degree murder, two counts of first degree attempted murder, a dozen counts of domestic abuse, and a dozen accounts of animal abuse. Nothing was looking good for him now. His court date was set for next summer, and Yugi had no doubt he would be convicted.

Part of him felt sorry for Jack. If Joey and Yami ever found out, he knew he'd get the biggest lecture of his life, but it was true. Jack had to have had a crappy childhood to turn into the adult he did. Which is why Yugi asked that prosecutors not go for the Death Penalty. Instead, he asked that Jack get life in prison. Jack deserved death, he did, but Yugi couldn't find it in his heart to know that Jack would spent the next ten years of his on Death Row. Murdering a murderer was just evil and completely hypocritical.

Just one more year...

But, Yugi knew when they day came he would testify. He had to make sure no one else ever got hurt by Jack again.

The doorbell rang and Yugi got up off his bed. It would take a few days getting used to living with Yami, but he knew it was where he belonged. He belonged with Yami; he loved Yami. And he knew Yami loved him.

He entered the living room to see Yami opening the door and letting Joey in. He was carrying a box of pizza and a small bag wrapped around his wrist.

"Happy birthday, Yugi." Joey said.

"Thanks, Joey."

"Now that you're an adult, I figure it's time I treat you like one." Joey put the pizza down and threw the bag over to Yugi. Yugi caught it and opened it but felt his face flush a scarlet red when he saw the contents.

"Joey!" Yugi screamed, closing the bag to hide the box of condoms Joey had given him. "That's disgusting!"

"Read the card!"

Yugi looked into the bag to see a pamphlet on the dangers of having unprotected sex. His face turned an even deeper red. "Why are you doing this to me?" He whined.

"Hey, I know what adults do, Anzu and I—"

Yugi covered his ears with his hands. "I do not need to know that!"

Joey laughed and Yami looked over. "What's so funny?" He asked.

Yugi shook his head. "Don't worry about it. Let's just eat. I want to get rid of the mental scars as fast as possible." Yugi said as he, Yami, and Joey sat down to pizza.

"Whatever, Yuge." Joey said still smirking.

"Hey now," Yami interrupted, "don't give him a hard time. Remember, you have to come in and work for me tomorrow. You make things miserable for Yugi, I can make them ten times more miserable for you."

"Oh come on! Don't be that kind of boss! Be a cool boss!"

"And what would make me a 'cool' boss?"

Joey smirked. "You let me kick back, relax, and do nothing but play video games."

"If that ever happens, both our asses will be in the unemployment line. You know how Kaiba is about work ethic."

Joey sighed. "That rat bastard. Won't let us have any fun, will he?"

Yami shook his head. Then, he turned over to Yugi. "Happy birthday, Yugi." He leaned in and gave Yugi a quick kiss.

"Get a room you two. Yugi, put my gift to good use." Joey said.

"Joey!"

Joey snickered.

Yugi sighed, but gave Joey a smile. He had good friends, a wonderful boyfriend, and a safe place to stay. He finally had everything he ever wanted in life.

And things could only get better from there.

-0-0-0-0-0-

**Thanks for everyone who voted on my poll. The next story to come out will be "Deal With The Devil". When it comes out, I do not know...I'm taking a hiatus writing fanfiction to finish work on a novel I've been working on since June. But you can expect DWTD by maybe December? I still have more to write. **

**Thanks again for reading! I love you all!  
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